FALLSBURG – During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across the country grappled with food insecurity, and now with the added pressure of soaring inflation, the plight of food insecurity has …
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FALLSBURG – During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across the country grappled with food insecurity, and now with the added pressure of soaring inflation, the plight of food insecurity has grown even more dire.
Findings from a recent report by the New York State Comptroller’s office reveal that an alarming number of New Yorkers—one in eight—face food insecurity and battle with questions: will they have enough food to feed their families or themselves?
The Town of Fallsburg has taken steps forward by launching a pop-up food pantry program to confront the issue of food insecurity within Fallsburg, and it kicks off on May 30 at 10 a.m. in River Valley Estates, formerly known as Foxcroft Village, located at 3 Piccadilly East in Loch Sheldrake.
“With the price of everything going up, food insecurity in Fallsburg is real and affecting a lot of homes it did not hit before,” said Fallsburg Town Supervisor Katherine Rappaport. “I’m proud we can partner with Arc of the Hudson Valley and the Hudson Valley food bank to help ease this.”
The program is set to operate for a duration of six months and seeks to offer accessible and nourishing food to all residents of Fallsburg. It will be a collaborative effort by the Town of Fallsburg, the Hudson Valley Food Bank, and The Arc Greater Hudson Valley with help from a Reach and Resiliency Grants program from the United States Department of Agriculture.
“We conducted a needs assessment across our 23 counties [in New York] and there was a tremendous shortage of emergency feeding programs in Sullivan County,” said Amy Robillard Perishable Product Manager for the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.
Residents receive three days’ worth of meals, equivalent to about a week’s worth of food at the pantry.
Robillard emphasizes that proof of income is not required, ensuring that anyone in need receives assistance.
Recent data from December 2022 reveals that nearly 2.9 million households in New York are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the largest domestic food and nutrition initiative in the nation.
To mitigate the impact of the crisis from COVID-19, federal legislation sanctioned the distribution of emergency allotments of supplementary SNAP benefits to households that were not receiving the maximum benefits based on their size.
However, these critical benefits ceased on March 1, 2023, worsening the strain on vulnerable populations already grappling with food insecurity.
The upcoming mobile pop-up pantry will mark Sullivan County’s third addition, joining Fremont Center and Yulan as existing locations. Robilliard noted that the pantry has expanded significantly over time, allowing them to provide an increasing amount of food to support families in need.
In Fremont Center alone, the pantry was able to assist approximately 60 families.
Fallsburg is urging residents to complete an online form before arriving, and should the Fallsburg pop-up food pantry program prove successful, the town intends to extend the reach of the pop-up pantry beyond its initial location to various other parts of Fallsburg.
Robillard added, “As long as we have the food, we’ll try to get it out as best, judiciously, and respectfully as possible.”
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