Two large food banks in Connecticut announced new weekly food distribution programs in New London and Norwich to help families struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Connecticut Food Bank and Food Share, which recently announced plans to merge into one statewide service organization, announced that weekly food distributions will be held on Fridays in New London and Mondays in Norwich. The programs replicate weekly distributions already underway at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, and a third weekly distribution will be done in Norwalk.

The New London distribution will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Fridays at St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church, 10 Huntington St., and began last Friday.

The Norwich distribution will begin Jan. 25 and will be held Mondays from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the former Foxwoods employee parking lot, 28 Stonington Road-Route 2. The parking lot is across from Pistol Pete’s Bar and Grill.

Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare encourage people to connect with additional food resources in their community. To access additional food resources, call 211 or go to www.211ct.org or www.foodshare.org/help or www.ctfoodbank.org/gethelp.