Press Release: Goya Foods Brought the Comforts of Home to Displaced Families

4th of September 2023

PRESS RELEASE from the Desk of ZOË STETSON

Thanks to Goya Foods, Inc. and its Goya Gives campaign, displaced families served by Hartford’s the Centro de Ayuda Para Nuestros Amigos Caribeños (Relief Center for our Caribbean Friends) had a reason to celebrate the new year. In late December, Goya donated 2,000 pounds of food to the center’s food pantry.

“We couldn’t think of a better way to show our support of the Hartford community than by donating 2,000 pounds of food to the Capitol Region Education Council,” said Rafael Toro, director of public relations of Goya Foods. “We want to welcome many of the families arriving to Hartford, who have been displaced from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands, with hope and a warm meal.”

The Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) manages the relief center, which opened on Nov. 1. It has already served more than 1,300 people who have relocated to the Hartford region from Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands as the result of last fall’s hurricanes.

“Arriving families are turning to the relief center in increasing numbers for access to food and clothing, social services, jobs and job search assistance, transportation, and educational resources,” said Greg J. Florio, CREC’s executive director.

“There is no charge for these services, which are all on-site.”

The Latino Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving was instrumental in securing the generous donation from Goya Foods. “I am honored to have facilitated this donation to CREC, as the timing of its arrival is essential,” said Moraima Gutierrez, Steering Committee Chair, Latino Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. “Our Puerto Rican and other Caribbean island friends need our support locally. These GOYA products represent nutrition, comfort, and familiarity to our folks. We are most grateful to have established these contacts at a national level and to have leveraged them with our local philanthropic efforts.”

Volunteers from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s Latino Endowment Fund’s Giving Circle and CREC staff were on hand to unload the truck, which Luna Relocation LLC in East Hartford donated.

About GOYA:

Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America’s largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world; Goya’s combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation make Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com

The Capitol Region Education Council was established in 1966. Working with and for its member districts, CREC has developed a wide array of cost-effective and high-quality programs and services to meet the educational needs of children and adults in the region. CREC brings nearly five decades of experience in education, regional collaboration, and operations to provide innovative strategies and products that address the changing needs of school districts and their students, corporations, non-profits, and individual professions. CREC regularly serves 36 towns in Greater Hartford, offering more than 120 programs to more than 150,000 students annually. CREC manages more than 35 facilities throughout the area, including 16 interdistrict magnet schools. More information about CREC and CREC’s award-winning schools is available at www.crec.org.

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