Reusable Bags

After meeting with community service directors in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville, and Southington, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain learned about a need and took initiative to meet it. Executive directors of local nonprofits expressed their concern over the ban of single use plastic bags in Connecticut; specifically that they use plastic bags to give displaced families supplies that include soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, and other household necessities. The plastic bag ban also brought about unintended consequences at local food pantries, where workers were struggling to get clients their food and supplies without the use of plastic bags.

The Community Foundation sprang into action and with the help of their Community Initiatives Committee, approved a grant of $7,500 to have 5,000 brand new reusable purple CFGNB bags made. With support from Acme Monaco who received, stored, and delivered all of the bags to the organizations in need, the Foundation has so far donated nearly 4,000 bags to nonprofit food pantries in our four town area.