Write-Up & Photos  by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com  When I began my reporting career one of  my earliest assignments was to cover a church sponsored Thanksgiving Day dinner for the homeless and those down on their luck. That day I talked with people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, veterans working to recover from their wartime experiences, elderly folks barely making ends meet on fixed incomes, and a young, newly unemployed couple who had swallowed their pride to be there so their children would have a holiday meal. Since that time, over a span of more than two decades I have reported on the growing needs of local and regional food pantries in communities throughout the Greater Hartford, Connecticut area. Just this past spring I…