The Thomas Merton Family Center

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The Thomas Merton Family Center A program of Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Inc. -Dining Services:
Serving breakfast & lunch daily from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM.

Over 300 guests served each day

-Connie’s Eat Smart Food Pantry:
Among the largest in Bridgeport, provides 5 days of nutritious meals each week. Guests select groceries with dignity in a grocery store setting. New cooking classes for healthy eating and community-building.

-Case Management:
Helping guests break poverty cycles through intake assessments, action plans, resource connections, and advocacy.

- Mail Program:
Provides a secure mailing address for those without one, enabling access to Social Security, Medical, and EBT cards.

- Shower Program:
Warm showers, clean towels, toiletries, and new socks, underwear, and t-shirts provided to guests.

- Immigration Legal Services:
DOJ-accredited Catholic Charities team offers affordable, reliable legal counseling to navigate citizenship and family reunification.

-Housing Assistance:
Support in finding housing for homeless and housing-insecure guests, managing limited resources.

-Partnerships and Future Collaborations:
With Southwest Community Health Center, CT State Community College, STRIVE/Career Resources Job Training, ESL and Financial Literacy Classes.



- Southwest Community Health Center Services:
– Family Practice Medicine (Internal Medicine and Pediatrics)
– Behavioral Health
Hours of Operation:
Mon: Closed | Tues: 8:30am – 2:00pm | Wed: 8:30am – 2:00pm | Thurs: 8:30am – 2:00pm | Fri: Closed | Sat: Closed
*Disclaimer – As the need increases, our schedule will expand to offer more service hours for the community. Please call 203-330-6000 or speak with your case manager for the most current hours of operations. FOOD PANTRY:
The Thomas Merton Family Center Food Pantry will be open for shopping on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Under the new schedule, we will be dividing shopping days by last name. Each family will still shop just once a month. To find yourshopping day, please see the chart below:
TUESDAYS: Last names beginning with A, B, C, D, E, F, G
WEDNESDAYS: Last names beginning with H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P
THURSDAYS: Last names beginning with Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

The pantry will hold open registration for new families every Monday from 10 am to 1 pm. We will no longer require advance appointments for registration.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS We’re excited to launch our new Culinary Skills Class at the Thomas Merton Family Center! Together, g...
10/22/2026

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
We’re excited to launch our new Culinary Skills Class at the Thomas Merton Family Center! Together, guests are building culinary skills, gaining hands-on experience, and developing the job skills needed to pursue careers in the food industry.

One skill, one opportunity, one step closer to a brighter future! ❤️

The Thomas Merton Family Center is proud to support our community partners. The Bridgeport Rotary Club, as they host a b...
10/21/2026

The Thomas Merton Family Center is proud to support our community partners. The Bridgeport Rotary Club, as they host a blood drive on Saturday, November 14, at the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport.

With the Red Cross declaring an emergency blood shortage this summer, every donation can make a meaningful difference for patients and families in need. If you are able to donate, we encourage you to sign up and help ensure that lifesaving blood is available when our community needs it most.

Saturday, November 14
Cardinal Shehan Center, Bridgeport

Scan the QR code on the flyer to register or call to reserve your spot.

There’s still time to help fill our Thanksgiving pantry! 🍂The Thomas Merton Family Center is collecting Thanksgiving foo...
10/19/2026

There’s still time to help fill our Thanksgiving pantry! 🍂

The Thomas Merton Family Center is collecting Thanksgiving food donations for our neighbors in need.

Your donation can help provide some of the familiar foods that make a Thanksgiving meal feel like home, including cranberry sauce, gravy, canned vegetables, stuffing, cornbread mix, chicken stock, boxed mashed potatoes and more.

We are also collecting reusable shopping bags to help guests bring their groceries home.

Thomas Merton Family Center
1406 State St., Bridgeport
Call 203-367-9036 to coordinate a drop-off
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Deadline: Thursday, November 12

Please make sure donated items are not expired.

Thank you for helping make Thanksgiving a little more plentiful for our community.

🍂 Help Make Thanksgiving Special for Our NeighborsThanksgiving is just around the corner, and the Thomas Merton Family C...
10/01/2026

🍂 Help Make Thanksgiving Special for Our Neighbors

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the Thomas Merton Family Center is collecting food items to help make the holiday a little brighter for individuals and families in our community.

We're currently looking for:

Brown sugar
Cranberry sauce
Gravy
Canned yams
Canned corn
Canned string beans
Cornbread box mix
Chicken stock
Turkey stuffing
Dried onions
Cream of mushroom soup
Boxed mashed potatoes
Reusable shopping bags

Donations can be dropped off at 1406 State St., Bridgeport. Please call 203-367-9036 to coordinate your drop-off.

đź“… Please donate by Thursday, November 12.
Drop-off hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Thank you for helping our neighbors prepare for a Thanksgiving meal!

We’re excited to welcome five new trees to the Thomas Merton Family Center in Bridgeport. 🌳Thanks to the generosity and ...
09/13/2026

We’re excited to welcome five new trees to the Thomas Merton Family Center in Bridgeport. 🌳

Thanks to the generosity and collaboration of Groundwork Bridgeport, The Nature Conservancy, and Emerge, we received four Tupelo trees and one Apple Serviceberry tree to help beautify our Center while creating environmental benefits for our surrounding community.

A special thank you to Tanner from Groundwork Bridgeport and Joshua from The Nature Conservancy for helping make this possible.

Our guests have already shared how much they appreciate the improvement to the front of the building. These new trees are helping create a more welcoming and uplifting space for the individuals who come to TMFC for services each day.

It’s a wonderful reminder that even a simple improvement to our surroundings can bring joy, create a sense of welcome, and make a meaningful difference in our community.

09/12/2026
Give blood. Give hope. Give back to our community.The Thomas Merton Family Center is proud to support our community part...
09/10/2026

Give blood. Give hope. Give back to our community.

The Thomas Merton Family Center is proud to support our community partners. The Bridgeport Rotary Club, as they host a blood drive on Saturday, November 14, at the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport.

With the Red Cross declaring an emergency blood shortage this summer, every donation can make a meaningful difference for patients and families in need. If you are able to donate, we encourage you to sign up and help ensure that lifesaving blood is available when our community needs it most.

Saturday, November 14
Cardinal Shehan Center, Bridgeport

Scan the QR code on the flyer to register or call to reserve your spot.

09/08/2026
They may be single-digits in age, but their hearts are infinite in kindness! A HUGE thank you to Delilah and Deanna for ...
09/08/2026

They may be single-digits in age, but their hearts are infinite in kindness!

A HUGE thank you to Delilah and Deanna for helping Thomas Merton Family Center in our mission to serve our struggling neighbors. The rising 5th graders ran a lemonade stand this summer and generously donated their proceeds to TMFC.

Thank you for your support of the Merton Center, Delilah and Deanna!

Address

1406 State Street
Bridgeport, CT
06605

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 3pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 3pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 3pm
Thursday 8:30am - 3pm
Friday 8:30am - 3pm

Telephone

+12033679036

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