Witkos, Case celebrate the Gathering Place’s grand opening

TORRINGTON – New Beginnings of Northwest Hills of Litchfield County today celebrated its grand opening of a new drop-in center for homeless individuals and families, and Sen. Kevin Witkos and Rep. Jay Case congratulated the partnership, thanking organizers for their dedication to eradicate homelessness.

The new drop-in center, The Gathering Place, in the A Suite at 21 Prospect St., is part of an ongoing effort of the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Homeless Outreach Team in conjunction with the City of Torrington. New Beginnings was awarded grants through the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut to purchase the building.

Case, an integral part in securing the nonprofit’s building and 501(c)(3) status, applauded the time, effort and work that went into creating this new venture.

“This collaboration, this effort, is yet another step in the right direction,” Case said. “We want to take care of those who need it, the individuals and families struggling to gain some footing in this difficult economic climate. New Beginnings, Charlotte Hungerford and the City of Torrington should be applauded for their efforts in addressing homelessness and bringing this incredible resource to our community. I want to thank Nancy Cannavo and her team for having the vision and making it happen.”

“Homelessness impacts many families across Connecticut including right here in our own community. This joint effort is an extremely positive way to offer support and opportunities to people currently going through tough times. Torrington should be very proud of this unified effort to help our neighbors,” Witkos said.

The Gathering Place will serve as Litchfield County’s coordinated point of access to deliver services to those experiencing homelessness. The mission of the Gathering Place is to provide a pathway to housing, self-sufficiency and help put an end to homelessness in northwest Connecticut.