Person to Person
Person to Person (P2P) supports families and individuals as they move toward stability with healthy food, clothing, housing assistance, and a path to economic opportunity.
Each person P2P has the opportunity to serve has a unique story. Whether it’s a single mother struggling to work enough hours to provide for herself and her children, an elderly man living alone on disability, or a young family looking for guidance to navigate housing expenses in Fairfield County, each person has a unique reason for calling on P2P and P2P is there to serve them all, no questions asked.
Nancy Coughlin, CEO, Person to Person
Nancy joined Person to Person in June of 2019, bringing expertise and experience in food insecurity, anti-poverty, and women’s and children’s issues. Prior to joining P2P, Nancy served for seven years as the Executive Director at Neighbor to Neighbor, a Greenwich-based organization dedicated to providing food and clothing to low-income families and children, and prior to that, practiced employment litigation with Baker McKenzie in NYC.
Nancy received a BA in psychology from the University of New Hampshire, and a J.D. from the Suffolk University Law School.
Arranged by Alex Garnett
Summary
The Heart of Help: Nancy Coughlin on Building Stability Through Compassion and Action
It’s not every day you hear a speaker who makes statistics feel personal. But that’s exactly what Nancy Coughlin, CEO of Person-to-Person (P2P), accomplished in her recent talk. With warmth, clarity, and a call to action, she walked us through the stark realities of economic hardship in Fairfield County—and how her organization is helping people move toward stability—one meal, one rent check, and one conversation at a time.
Founded in 1968 after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Person-to-Person was born out of a vision of justice and reconciliation. Today, it’s one of Connecticut’s most impactful social service organizations. Coughlin, who came to P2P in 2019, brings a unique blend of legal expertise, nonprofit leadership, and grassroots empathy. She isn’t just running a program—she’s reframing how we think about poverty and potential.
What’s changed since P2P’s early days? A lot. Today’s challenges are steep: Fairfield County has the second-highest income inequality in the nation, and in towns like Stamford and Norwalk, up to 60% of kids qualify for free or reduced lunch. As Coughlin put it, “The people we serve are often working, but they simply can’t keep up.”
So what does P2P do?
They meet people where they are—literally. Whether through mobile food pantries, home deliveries, or on-site caseworkers, they reach deep into communities with food, clothing, emergency financial assistance, and longer-term coaching programs. Their four food pantries (including two mobile) now distribute enough groceries for over 2.5 million meals a year—more than double what they managed pre-pandemic.
But Coughlin stressed that this isn’t just about charity—it’s about systems. She pointed to housing costs as the single biggest driver of need, with over 50% of renters in the area spending more than a third of their income just to stay housed. “Rent eats first,” she said, and that leaves little for food, transportation, or health care.
She also highlighted how federal safety net programs have been slashed just as demand is rising again. The loss of expanded SNAP benefits, the child tax credit, and rent assistance—programs that briefly cut child poverty to historic lows during the pandemic—has led to a resurgence of hunger and homelessness. “Poverty is back on the rise,” she warned.
Still, there’s hope—and it shows up in the form of volunteers, donors, and creative problem-solvers. With over 3,000 volunteers, P2P leans into community support. Their programs are bilingual, tailored, and responsive—from financial coaching to job training to car seats for new parents. “Support” is the operative word in P2P’s mission, and Coughlin made it clear: they’re not here to “rescue” people—they’re here to walk with them.
As one audience member noted, “This is a real model for community service.” And it is. But it’s also a model for what’s possible when we stop asking, “What’s wrong with them?” and start asking, “What systems can we fix together?”
Coughlin ended her talk with a message we all needed to hear: “Every child deserves to grow up and reach their full potential. Our job is to make sure they can.”