TAKE ACTION
Protect the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP)
Last fall, Congress approved $117M for EFSP in 2025, including $1.5M for Connecticut. EFSP provides essential support to organizations helping people facing hunger and homelessness. Yet the program has been inexplicably frozen and is now at risk of being eliminated entirely.
⚡ Take Action! Ask your Member of Congress to oppose cutting EFSP and maintain funding at current levels to continue supporting communities in need.
UPDATES FROM HARTFORD
All press events and sessions can be viewed on CT-N or each Committee’s YouTube channel. Full CT CGA calendar is available online here.
- Transforming Children's Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee Meeting, Wednesday, December 3rd, 2 pm, Legislative Office Building Room 1E
- Appropriations and Finance Committees Joint Fiscal Accountability Meeting, Thursday, December 4th, 1:30, Legislative Office Building Room 2e, YouTube
- Appropriations and Human Services Committees Joint Public Hearing followed by a Committee Meeting, Friday, December 12th, 9:30 am, Legislative Office Building Room 2C, YouTube
EVENTS
Early Childhood Training
Monday, December 1st, 5-8 pm, Danbury Public Library, 170 Main Street
Join the Danbury Collective and Cora’s Kids for an early childhood training for providers, caregivers, and families of children ages 0–5. Learn about tools and activities to support young children, explore development tracking resources, and register for the free Sparkler app. Light dinner and gift card raffles provided. 📝 Register here.
- Providers: 5:00–6:30 PM
- Families: 6:30–8:00 PM
In Community: Building a Future We Can Afford
Tuesday, December 2nd 5:30-8:30 pm, Norwalk Community College Auditorium, 188 Richards Avenue
In Fairfield County, 27% of renters spend more than half their income on housing, and 38% of households spend more than 30%. We can do better — and you can be part of the solution.
Join Center for Housing Opportunity for an evening of film, dialogue, and practical tools to help you get involved in pro-housing efforts in your community. 📝 Free to attend, RSVP required.
Fairfield County Homeless Services Legislative Roundtable
Friday, December 12th, 10-11 am, Greens Farms Church, 71 Hillandale Rd, Westport
The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and Opening Doors Fairfield County are hosting a roundtable on addressing homelessness in your community. Topics include federal funding cuts, flexible prevention funds, frontline staffing, and strategies to respond to extreme weather. 📝 Sign up here.
NEWS and RESOURCES
Listen 🎧
- Rooted in Impact Podcast
- In this special edition, we break down key decisions from the Special Session and their impact across Connecticut.
Read 📰
- Dig Deeper into Early Care and Education with CT Voices’ 2025 State of Early Childhood Report
- CT strengthens data protections in wake of federal requests
- Long-awaited $3.6B in heating assistance released to states and tribes
- Lamont Signs Revised State Housing Bill
- New federal SNAP rules mean 36K in CT still risk food insecurity
- CT begins broader debate over vanishing federal funds
Have questions? Visit www.unitedwaycwc.org/advocate or contact Tida Infahsaeng at tida.infahsaeng@unitedwaycwc.org.