Norwich — State and federal officials gathered at the city's weekly food distribution site Monday morning to announce that even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families food box program was ending, a new federal-state partnership would continue weekly emergency food distributions in Norwich and New London through August.

Connecticut Food Bank/Foodshare President and CEO Jason Jakubowski said Gov. Ned Lamont and state Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt have agreed to earmark $750,000 of the state’s share of American Rescue Plan money to fund 70% of the cost to run food distributions at several sites. Food Bank/Foodshare donors will cover the remaining 30% of the cost.

Jakubowski said it was important to continue the emergency food program during the summer to provide for young children who rely on school meals during the school year. But he stressed that the emergency programs will end at the end of August.

Food Bank/Foodshare is urging families to connect with permanent local food pantries and food assistance programs come fall. Flyers listing local food assistance programs will be handed out at the distribution sites starting in August, he said.

Food Bank/Foodshare helps supply food to about 700 local food pantries and 100 mobile food van locations statewide.

Weekly emergency food distributions have been held in New London on Fridays and in Norwich on Mondays since mid-January in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The programs have been extended twice.

The New London distribution will continue as a walk-up site from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Fridays at St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church, 10 Huntington St., and the Norwich drive-thru distribution will continue 9 a.m. to noon at the former Foxwoods employee parking lot at 28 Stonington Road-Route 2. No distributions will be held on summer holidays — Memorial Day (next Monday) and July 5.

Several other sites across the state also will continue through August, Jakubowski said.

“These drive-thru distributions were always intended to be temporary,” he said, “They were never intended to be permanent. They are not the most efficient ways to be distributing food.”

The Norwich distribution Monday placed Farmers to Families food boxes in 863 vehicles. Jakubowski estimated the summer program will serve about 70,000 to 75,000 families.

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, who attended Monday’s announcement in Norwich along with U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, said the Lamont administration has proposed adding $1 million per year for the next two years to emergency food programs.

While speakers praised the state-federal partnership Monday, Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom thanked Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler for allowing the use of the tribal-owned parking lot for both the food distribution and a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site.

Nystrom said he is talking with City Manager John Salomone about possibly contributing a portion of the city’s $21 million American Rescue Plan grant for emergency food relief as well.

c.bessette@theday.com