Winsted man’s mission: ‘Fighting the good fight’ on homelessness

Winsted man’s mission: ‘Fighting the good fight’ on homelessness
Winsted resident Paul Venti awaits help from the Boy Scouts to pitch his borrowed tent. 
Photo by Debra A. Aleksinas

WINSTED — As dusk turned to darkness, Paul Venti sat alone in the shadows of the town green, awaiting help from the local Boy Scouts to pitch his borrowed tent so he could hunker down for the night.

Surrounded by a pile of warm clothing, a lantern, jumbo thermos, bottled water and rolled-up sleeping bag, Venti arrived early to secure his space on the cold, hard ground. 

Soon, the green would be filled with participants for the Winsted Area Branch YMCA’s 12th annual “Freezin’ for a Reason” sleep-out and fundraiser to help raise awareness about homelessness in the Northwest Corner and support the work of the Winsted Y’s 16-bed emergency shelter.

As cars swished by during the busy evening rush hour, Venti, of Winsted, revealed his reason for supporting the event for the second year in a row:  “I am doing this in memory of a friend that I lost to PTSD, a veteran. Tonight is his night.”

Venti, a retired member of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 and former food drive coordinator for his union, explained that he has taken the battle against hunger and homelessness as a personal challenge in the hope of helping lift fellow citizens out of their plights:

“I have dedicated my life to this. This is my mission.”

In 2016, Venti, a retired Navy veteran, founded The Good Fight on Hunger and Homelessness, a nonprofit corporation aimed at helping the unhoused. He also volunteers and coordinates food drives with the Missions of Mercy (M.O.M.) free dental clinic and has hosted seminars around the country.

His home’s two-car garage, he said, doubles as a food pantry: “The FedEx guy knows us well.”

With every food and supply run, Venti said, his savings were quickly depleting, so he sold his coveted United Association (UI) pin collection, which took him two and a half decades to collect, to continue his mission.

A union brother suggested he design a pin of his own for Fighting the Good Fight, which resulted in a stream of revenue that allowed him to buy many needed items like sleeping bags, tents, hoodies and sneakers to hand out. 

Venti is also author of the book “Fighting the Good Fight on Hunger and Homelessness: Life Stories and Meeting Inspiring People,” available on Amazon. He said he learned valuable lessons from his friends on the streets.: “I never walked in their shoes, so I don’t judge.” 

He recalled attending a Medicare summit in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Connecticut Alliance of Retired Americans, when he came across a group of homeless people on Pennsylvania Avenue, two blocks from the White House, huddled in sleeping bags on top of steam grates to stay warm. “There are a lot of myths about homelessness,” said Venti. “Homeless does not mean undereducated, jobless, you’re a drug addict, alcoholic or lazy. Nobody is exempt from being homeless.”

Latest News

Taking on Tanglewood

Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.

Provided

Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.

Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.

Keep ReadingShow less
James H. Fox

SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.

Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.

Keep ReadingShow less
Richard Stone

FALLS VILLAGE — Richard Stone of Main Street passed away June 25, 2025, at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington.

Born Feb. 12, 1942, in Ossining, New York, Richard was son of the late Howard Stone and Victoria (Smith) Stone.

Keep ReadingShow less