ECCGA mission is to directly educated and empower community gardens in Eastern CT to create lasting and sustainable solutions for increasing food security.In 2008 Dave Fairman, Community Activist, learned from Homeland Security that residents of Eastern Connecticut had only a three-day supply of food available to them. Eastern Connecticut Community Gardens Association (ECCGA) was subsequently established in 2008, and then in 2011 became a 501(c) 3 nonprofit to continue the Community Garden movement. ECCGA acts as an educational catalyst for the planning, development, harvesting and sustainability of organic fruit and vegetables from Community Gardens. ECCGA works with existing schools, organizations and neighborhoods to establish new gardens to feed local residents and to harvest produce for distribution to local food banks. This can save a household +/- $500 a year from purchasing these foods and provide residents with nutritious, fresh produce.