Alice Soscia: Connecticut tribes share wealth with community

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribal Council are making headlines for their efforts to build a new casino and preserve Connecticut jobs, but at United Way, we know them as some of our most dedicated community partners. We work with both tribes on numerous projects, from conducting food, toy and coat drives to cleaning up local parks.

This past May, the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans joined forces with United Way to hold a Day of Caring in Waterford. More than 125 employees of the two tribes and their casinos participated, cleaning up Camp Harkness in advance of its June opening. From dawn to dusk, energetic volunteers beautified the park’s cabins, beach, gardens and playgrounds, which are designed to accommodate disabled individuals. Camp Harkness welcomes more than 33,000 visitors every year, and the tribes’ efforts helped ensure an enjoyable experience for them.

More than 5,000 households in southeastern Connecticut have also received meals thanks to the tribes’ community activism. Every year, each tribe adopts one of ten Mobile Food Pantry sites of the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center. The Mobile Food Pantry travels to 10 locations across New London County, serving more than 1,000 families per month. Volunteers from each tribe staff their designated sites on a monthly basis, distributing food to families in need