Two major Connecticut food banks teamed up to open a distribution center in Norwalk Wednesday.

Connecticut Food Bank and Foodshare paired up Wednesday to launch a food distribution site at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk.

Connecticut Food Bank Board member Wes Higgins estimates, there has been a 40% increase of those in need of food in Connecticut, which could be as many as 800,000 people out of the 3.6 million in the state.

Together, the two organizations distribute close to 4 million pounds of food a per month through the agencies they work with.

The line of people in their cars stretched for miles as volunteers handed out boxes of fruit and vegetables; a sure sign that the pandemic is far from over, and that people still need help.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal says the new Biden administration in Washington is going to be working on expanding more pandemic relief programs.

"I'm going to be fighting for another overall pandemic relief program that will provide more resources to these kinds of food banks and food share programs," Blumenthal says.

The distribution center will be open every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Higgins says distributions sites like the one at Calf Pasture Beach wouldn't be possible without the thousands of volunteers and donors.