East Hartford, CT – New England Patriots defensive captain Lawrence Guy and his wife Andrea teamed up with New England Dairy to provide Thanksgiving meals to 307 families of students at the Joseph O. Goodwin Elementary School in East Hartford, Connecticut. The prepackaged meals featured a turkey with all the fixings and a gallon of milk. Each family drove to the school, opened the trunks of their vehicles and had volunteers place the food and milk inside to ensure a contactless experience during this pandemic.
“We are thrilled and humbled at the amazing generosity demonstrated by Lawrence and Andrea Guy, and by the New England Patriots,” said Goodwin Elementary School Principal Dan Brodeur. “The Goodwin School community is extremely grateful for the Thanksgiving meal give-away. Especially in 2020, we are filled with hope and optimism that such selfless, charitable acts are being done. I am sure that the children will have memories and examples of service to others that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Thank you!”
Many local families continue to feel the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges that may be enhanced during the holiday season, which can put added pressures on families. According to Feeding America, 426,620 people in Connecticut are struggling with hunger –117,660 of them being children. Reasons like these are why members of the New England Dairy community teamed up with East Hartford Public Schools and the New England Patriots to ensure local families can celebrate Thanksgiving with a nutritious meal.
Patriots defensive lineman Lawrence Guy and his wife Andrea established the Lawrence Guy Family Foundation in 2019 with the goal of providing resources and opportunities to disadvantaged families. The Guy’s held a similar Thanksgiving meal donation last year and distributed meals to more than 200 families. The November 21st Thanksgiving with the Guys event in East Hartford is critical in providing nutritious meals for local families to celebrate. A recent survey from Consumer Reports found that one in five American grocery shoppers has used a food pantry since March.
“Our staff at New England Dairy has had the pleasure of working with East Hartford Public Schools and the New England Patriots for many years. We were delighted to be able to bring them together on behalf of the region’s dairy farmers for this special opportunity for Goodwin Elementary School. We are thankful for Lawrence and Andrea Guy’s donation of the Thanksgiving meal and to Guida’s Dairy donation of local milk to make the meal complete,” shared Amanda Aldred with New England Dairy.
The milk was donated by Guida’s Dairy in conjunction with Home Fridge Advantage, an initiative through which dairy farmers are donating 100 gallons of milk to families in need after each Patriots home game this season. The gallons of milk were handed out to families from New England Dairy’s new, innovative Mobile Dairy Bar. This first-of-its-kind, fully refrigerated van features a three-tap system through which New England Dairy can serve different flavors of milk at events (when it’s safe to do so). The Mobile Dairy Bar will enhance the organizations events further bridging the gap between dairy farming and dairy nutrition.
New England Dairy and the Lawrence Guy Family Foundation partnered for a similar food donation in May 2020, where a week’s worth of milk and groceries were donated to more than 1,300 families in need in Worcester, Massachusetts.
ABOUT THE LAWRENCE GUY FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Lawrence Guy Family Foundation is a 501c(3) organization that provides resources and opportunities for financially disadvantaged families. Lawrence and his wife Andrea Guy established the foundation in 2019 with the goal to inspire and help disadvantaged families to achieve their full potential. For more information, please visit www.lawrenceguyfoundation.org.
ABOUT NEW ENGLAND DAIRY
New England Dairy (NED) is a non-profit education organization based in Boston that serves as a voice of dairy farmers in New England and Eastern New York. We champion these dairy farm families and the nutritious foods they produce by connecting people to dairy farms, supporting youth wellness in schools, and delivering the latest nutrition and sustainability science to educators, health professionals, scientists, and media. NED is a state and regional affiliate of the National Dairy Council® (NDC).
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