As owner of one of the most popular pizza places in Connecticut, Michael Androw is long over doing deliveries himself, but made an exception this week.
He delivered and donated 20 large pizzas to House of Bread soup kitchen in Hartford.
Androw, owner of E & D Pizza in Avon and a leader on the national pizza scene is known for using pizza for good causes from hunger to fulfilling the wishes of terminally ill children.
The delivery to the soup kitchen this week is an initiative of the national group Slice Out Hunger, which uses pizza to fight food insecurity. One of their programs around National Pizza Day which falls on Feb. 9 is to donate and deliver at least 10 pizzas to a local shelter, soup kitchen, or any hunger relief organization. Slice Out Hunger has over 700 pizza partners across the United States.
Androw always chooses House of Bread and wishes more pizzerias would take up the cause.
He said this year’s donation to House of Bread is especially nice after the string of cold weather.
“It’s all the more important to get the folks a nice hot meal,” he said. “The objective is to get more people involved. This is helping with food insecurity.”
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He said they get a “warm reception every year” at the soup kitchen.
“Everyone is so appreciative. It’s heartwarming,” he said.
Beth Boyle, co-director of House of Bread, said food insecurity is a daily reality that continues to increase for many in the community.
“We are so grateful that Mike and his team continue this annual tradition that we all look forward to – it truly is one of our favorite lunches of the year,” Boyle said.