Community Access

The Connections Award
Recognizing individuals, organizations/businesses, or initiatives that exemplify the value of collaboration and partnership.

The Community Award

Recognizing an individual, organization, or business committed to the common good who is leading the way to make our region more vibrant.
Herb Virgo

Founder and Executive Director of the Keney Park Sustainability Project, a nonprofit organization committed to providing hands-on training, on-site demonstrations, outreach, and community collaborations that help families become more self-sustainable and environmentally conscious while preserving the historic Keney Park.

Leadership Greater Hartford, a nonprofit that supports & strengthens the community by training and connecting aspiring and established leaders, is hosting their annual Polaris Awards on Thursday, October 28th – this year virtually - honoring four Polaris award winners who exemplify excellence in community leadership. Herb Virgo, Founder & Executive Director of the Keney Park Sustainability Project, who helps families to become more self-sustainable and environmentally conscious while preserving historic Keney Park, Brother Carl Hardrick, a lifelong youth development leader, gang intervention specialist, and community activist, the Women of Color in Business series, developed by University of Hartford’s Women’s Business Center to support and champion women entrepreneurs of color, and Jason Jakubowski, the visionary leader of Connecticut Foodshare, an organization that has worked tireless to increase food security for families across Connecticut in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join our virtual Polaris Awards celebration on Thursday, October 28th. For tickets, visit leadershipgh.org.

The LGH Visionary Award Winner: Jason Jakubowski, President & CEO Connecticut Foodshare

Recognizing an individual who exemplifies each of LGH’s three pillars: community, leadership and connections.
Jason Jakubowski A lifelong Connecticut resident, Jason Jakubowski is both an accomplished nonprofit executive and a nationally recognized community leader. As President & CEO of Connecticut Foodshare, Jason and his team have worked tirelessly to increase food security for families in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, Jason has successfully overseen and managed the merger of Connecticut’s two largest food banks: Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare, creating one statewide food bank that can better meet the needs of our community. Nomination: Jason has demonstrated tremendous leadership in his role as CEO of CT Foodbank / Foodshare, no more so than throughout the pandemic. He collaborated effectively with his team and countless external partners, including donors, partner agencies, food industry partners, volunteers and government agencies and officials, to respond to an unprecedented spike in food insecurity. Jason and his team helped hundreds of thousands of people in need across the state through innovative programs. We should all value Jason’s leadership and the positive impact he has had on all of our communities. Jason’s leadership, at such a pivotal time in CT Food Bank | Foodshare’s history, has been truly outstanding. He has managed the organization and stepped up throughout this pandemic to support the people of CT during an intense time of need. Last year under Jason’s leadership we distributed nearly 40 million meals to a network of more than 700 community based hunger relief programs. Together we serve the estimated 545,000 people in Connecticut struggling with food insecurity. In addition, Jason’s role in bringing CT Food Bank and Foodshare together to serve people across the entire state has laid the foundation to address food insecurity on a whole new level, and the organization is poised to grow into one of the most innovative and well run food banks in the country. I am confident that, with Jason’s leadership, this organization will do great things to combat hunger in CT.

Nov. 19th - Jan. 2nd, 2022

Sunday - Thursday 5pm - 10 pm. Friday and Saturday 5pm - 11pm.

East Hartford, CT

New Haven Restaurant Week presented by Citizens
will return to the Elm City from Sunday, October 3 through Saturday, October 16, with 24 local
restaurants offering prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner. Locals and visitors will have the
opportunity to experience some of New Haven’s finest dining offerings at special pricing.