New Haven Healthy Start Ramps Up Efforts in Response to Growing Needs

Provides essential supplies or food vouchers to help new and expecting parents with household costs during this critical time.

December 22, 2025
A man wearing a Giants cap, black jacket, and gloves smiles while sorting boxes of food at a distribution site with a truck in the background.
NHHS Fatherhood Coordinator Rodney Moore at a recent mobile food truck distribution hosted by Connecticut Foodshare. Katie Pellico Photo

Hits to the social safety net are not isolated, and compound challenges that households already faced around cost of living and healthcare.

Since October, New Haven Healthy Start (NHHS) has ramped up efforts to meet the needs of the hundreds of local families it serves. This often has meant providing essential supplies or food vouchers to help new and expecting parents with household costs during this critical — and confusing — time. 

Director Natasha Ray and Fatherhood Coordinator Rodney Moore say in addition to distributing supplies to clients, they also field daily calls and questions about changes to eligibility rules for benefits.

Learn more about New Haven Healthy Start.

Four pages of a community newsletter titled “CONNECTIONS” are spread out. The pages feature articles, photos of people at events, and colorful section headers on topics like opportunity, equity, leadership, and health.

This story is part of The Community Foundation newsletter, Connections - No. 3, 2025.