MEDIA ADVISORY: TOMORROW ❤️ CT-BASED DEFIBTECH TO DONATE AED TO NEW HAVEN’S DOWNTOWN EVENING SOUP KITCHEN DURING NATIONAL CPR & AED AWARENESS WEEK ❤️

[Mary Brennan Coursey]

MEDIA ADVISORY

CONNECTICUT-BASED DEFIBTECH TO DONATE AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR (AED) TO NEW HAVEN’S DOWNTOWN EVENING SOUP KITCHEN DURING NATIONAL CPR & AED AWARENESS WEEK

Press event will spotlight cardiac arrest preparedness in community-serving spaces and the health equity imperative of accessible emergency technology

NEW HAVEN, CT | JUNE 3, 2026 — On Thursday morning, during National CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 1–7), Defibtech, a Guilford, Connecticut-based manufacturer of automated external defibrillators, will donate an AED to Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK), New Haven's leading nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

The event will bring together leaders from Defibtech, DESK, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, and the City of New Haven Health Department to highlight the life-saving importance of AED access in community-facing spaces, the elevated cardiac risk among people experiencing homelessness, and the role of Connecticut-based innovation in protecting lives nationwide.

Sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 350,000 Americans outside of hospitals each year. When a bystander deploys an AED before emergency services arrive, survival rates more than double. Despite this, many nonprofits and social service organizations lack access to these devices due to cost.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT:  Press event marking National CPR & AED Awareness Week and a ceremonial AED donation, featuring a live AED demonstration and remarks from community health leaders.

WHEN:  Thursday, June 4, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. ET

WHERE:  DESK’s Drop-in & Resource Center, 266 State Street, New Haven, CT

WHO:    

·       A.J. Pace, President & CEO, Defibtech

·       Steve Werlin, Executive Director, Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK)

·       Maritza Bond, MPH, MDiv, Health Director, City of New Haven 

·       Dr. Michael Couturie, Chief Medical Officer of Medical & Dental Services, Cornell Scott Hill Health Center

·       Dr. Caitlin Ryus, Vice President, DESK Board of Directors; Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital                                    

 

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MEDIA CONTACT:  Mary Coursey | 860-305-0476 | ma...@courseyco.com