News and Views

Giving Back Through Backpacks

August 30th, 2024

When one thinks of “childhood hunger”, perceptions of what that “looks like” can vary widely amongst different people, sometimes calling to mind graphic images in the news.  It is vital to note, however, that hunger can often present in an inconspicuous tone in our society, often hiding behind the agitation and aggression of a child […]

Open letter and reflection by Jackie Kasinskas, Community Engagement Coordinator

July 9th, 2022

I’d like to start off by saying thank you to the Hands On Hartford staff and volunteers. Your presence at Hands On Hartford is both a celebration of all of us and testament to the community that we have built together. I was welcomed into the Hands On Hartford team during the height of the pandemic. We […]

An Intern’s Reflection

February 2nd, 2022

Reflecting back on my time with Hands On Hartford is difficult because there is so much to say! I began my internship experience with the community engagement team. This area gets very busy in the fall, which also happens to be when I started. Around September this organization is getting ready for the holidays, and […]

Five New Members Join Hands On Hartford Board

November 4th, 2021

Hands On Hartford welcomes the appointment of five members to its Board of Directors:  Harry Amadasun, Jr., a resident of East Hartford, works in Underwriting Operations with Travelers; Nichole Berklas, a resident of West Hartford, is Of Counsel with Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt LLP; Chris Collibee, a resident of Wethersfield, is State Communications […]

Hands On Hartford Welcomes New Board Members

April 26th, 2021

During a period that has been both challenging and uncertain, Hands On Hartford celebrates the appointment of six members to its Board of Directors:  Michael Tetreault, a resident of Wethersfield, is Vice President, Business Insurance Underwriting at Travelers; Katonya Hughey, a resident of Bloomfield, is Consultant/Sr. Project Manager Open Solutions at Fiserv and owner of […]

Gratitude for Unprecedented Outpouring of Community Support

February 2nd, 2021

In the last three days, dozens and dozens of people in the Hartford community and in fact, from across the world, have made donations to support Hands On Hartford’s work in response to and in solidarity with our decision to reject a recent food donation.  On Monday, January 25, two people identifying themselves as members […]

Hitting the Pause Button: Cafe at Fifty-Five and Caterers Who Care

December 9th, 2020

Like so many restaurants in these COVID times, we have decided that it’s time for the Cafe at Fifty-Five and Caterers Who Care operations to go on hiatus, effective December 31. The impacts of COVID sure are showing their colors in terms of increased community needs and continued struggles for restaurants and catering businesses, ours […]

Hands & Hearts Together, with gratitude

October 21st, 2020

On the one hand….. we’re all kind of tired of the masks, the hand sanitizer and Lysol and bleach (walking through the Hands On Hartford Center for Community, there’s a new scent practically every step – lavender hand sanitizer, industrial cleaning fluid, fresh scent antibacterial soap, rose…  oh wait, those were someone’s flowers delivered for […]

The Power of a Helping Hand

June 10th, 2020

In honor of Partnership for Strong Community’s Heroes of Housing and Homelessness Week, we share this story of the difference a helping hand and a little persistence can make in the lives of our neighbors. “Lena” came for breakfast at our Community Meals Program and reached out in a panic for help with her housing […]

With an Aching Heart and a Renewed Commitment

June 4th, 2020

I simply can’t let another day go by without acknowledging the pain around the horrific murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, another senseless loss of life in a too long list of lives cut short. I know I’m not alone at Hands On Hartford in feeling the profound heartache and anger over racism and ongoing […]