The Towers has developed an innovative way to enhance its vital Meal Sustainability project--an initiative that addresses food insecurity issues for many senior adults living on fixed incomes or no longer able to shop or cook for themselves.

The Towers has now successfully reinforced the Meal Sustainability initiative through the addition of the Co-generation Project. The new co-generator is already humming right along, providing most of the energy needs to Tower One. Monies saved have begun to be realized and are being used to provide the community's elderly population with more meals. 

What does success look like? From September through December of 2021, The Towers provided 19,949 meals to those in need through the Meal Sustainability Project. This impressive goal could not be reached without community support for our community’s elderly population. The Towers Meal Sustainability project provides 75 percent of the funding needs to make two healthy meals a day affordable for those who may not otherwise be able to afford them. The remaining 25 percent funding gap is provided by our community, especially the Jewish Foundation’s Grants for the Jewish Elderly Initiative and the Jewish Federation through its Planning & Allocation Process, both of which allocated funding to provide meals for residents in need at the Towers. 

“These meals, for many of our residents, were very much a step toward a healthier lifestyle, leaving behind the days of microwaved pre-packaged items for freshly cooked balanced and nutritious Kosher meals," reports Jesse Wescott, associate vice president of The Towers. "This project has allowed our team in the back and front of the house to truly foster their passion for food and feed more people. With the added number of residents who can receive a meal subsidy and dine with us, we can stretch the amount of hours the dining room and café are open. Looking into the future, when we can safely open our dining spaces back up for communal dining, a new layer of impact will unfold as we can now welcome many new residents to break bread together. 

Craig Sklar, chair of the Jewish Foundation’s Grants for the Jewish Elderly Committee, noted that “in 2020, the Jewish Foundation was fortunate to receive funds which allowed us to establish the Grants for the Jewish Elderly Initiative, an annual grant making initiative to support the Jewish elderly in the New Haven area. A significant portion of the Grants for the Jewish Elderly awards have been allocated to support the vital work of the Towers. We hope to continue to aid their essential mission of providing food security to those in need and reducing the isolation of their residents, especially during this difficult pandemic.”