MONROE, CT — The First Selectman Rooney Foundation donated $8,000 to support the town’s Project Warmth and Monroe Food Pantry programs, which help single residents and families, who are down on their luck, to heat their homes and put food on the table.
Last year, 150 families, or approximately 750 to 800 individuals, participated in the town’s program providing produce, milk, eggs, frozen meat and non-perishables, according to Eddie Lui, coordinator of the food pantry.
On Thursday afternoon, First Selectman Terry Rooney presented a check on behalf of his nonprofit to Lui and Kim Cassia, the town’s director of Community and Social Services.
“We’re excited to do this,” Rooney said of he and his committee. “I’m very happy to do this for the food pantry and Project Warmth. It’s always nice to give Social Services financial assistance.”
“This will definitely help keep our shelves stocked at the pantry and also help people keep their electricity and heat on,” Cassia said.
Lui said the Monroe Food Pantry runs on donations, relying on businesses and organizations like Big Y, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, the Monroe Republican and Monroe Democratic town committees, Victorinox, the Rotary Club of Monroe, all of Monroe’s public schools, The Goddard School and Monroe police officers.
He said the pantry only assists Monroe residents, who verify their address with identification and a utility bill. Those in need of assistance should call Eddie Lui at 203-452-2817.
Project Warmth
Cassia said the donation comes at a time when changes in financial assistance, like Eversource’s matching program for low income customers and ALLIANCE, provide less relief for some.
According to Social Services Coordinator Mary Ann Kalm, Eversource’s matching payment program changed for low income customers heating their homes with electricity.
“In the past, people in low income housing or on SNAP automatically had their payments lowered to $50 a month. It would get matched,” Kalm said. “Now if they qualify for a low income discount program there is less relief, or some only get 10 percent off. It’s not a budgeted amount.”
To qualify, she said a customer needs to be in arrears for at least 60 days and owe at least $100 on their bills.
ALLIANCE, offered through the Community Action Agency, used to take up to 45 days to process applications. But this year, Kalm said some applications are taking longer to process.
“This is problematic, because some could run out of oil,” Kalm said. “That’s where Project Warmth steps in, filling the gap until applications are processed. With Project Warmth, we try to fill in the gaps where we can.”
A team effort
“I’ve been involved in a lot of charitable organizations, which I love. What really frustrated me is the floods,” Rooney said of the flash floods last summer. “It was really hard for me to see people struggling. I like to take care of things.”
He said there are limitations to the things Monroe’s Social Services can do, so he started the First Selectman Rooney Foundation.
The first fundraising dinner for the new nonprofit was held at Testo’s restaurant on December 14, 2024.
“It was a great success, raising in the area of $20,000 after costs to help the community,” Rooney said. “Immediately after that, people started coming to me.”
Among the requests, he said some could not afford Christmas presents, had furnaces that broke or a chimney in need of repair. The First Selectman Rooney Foundation has a committee, whose members vet requests.
The next fundraising dinner will be held at Testo’s, 505 Main St. in Monroe, on Dec. 13.
Rooney expressed his appreciation to all of the individuals and businesses who helped with the initial fundraising efforts. “It’s a team effort,” he said.
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