“We know the need is greater than ever, especially with the federal spending cuts…””

Distribution Friday, Nov.22

Pickup Locations:

• Orange County: Regional Food Bank, 580 State Rt. 416, Montgomery

• Orange County: Mount Saint Mary College, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh

• Dutchess County: Dutchess Community College, 53 Pendell Rd., Poughkeepsie

• Ulster County: Good Neighbor Food Pantry, 16 Rock City Rd., Woodstock

• Sullivan County: Sullivan Government Center, 100 North St., Monticello

• Rockland County: Clover Stadium, 1 Phil Tisi Way, Pomona

MONTGOMERY — Regional Food Bank leadership and volunteers, restaurant and food partners, site partners, donors and local and state elected officials joined together to kick off preparations for the Hudson Valley’s largest Thanksgiving Meal Distribution, unveiling more than a dozen pick-up and drop-off locations and key sponsors of this first-ever effort to provide nourishing meals to members of their community. 

“With the support of our sponsors, food industry partners, and volunteers we are taking the monumental step of feeding all of our neighbors in need throughout our 23-county service area this Thanksgiving,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO at Regional Food Bank during a press conference Tuesday at the Orange County Distribution Center in Montgomery. 

“We know the need is greater than ever, especially with the federal spending cuts this year which eliminated more than seven million pounds of food to our region, or more than 5.8 million meals. This is the largest Thanksgiving distribution in the state and we could not do it without the tremendous support from the lower Hudson Valley to the Capital Region to the North Country,” said Nardacci.” 

Working with its robust network of community partners, the Regional Food Bank will provide an unprecedented 115,000 Thanksgiving meals to 25,000 people in Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Rockland and Sullivan counties. About 800 community volunteers will join Regional Food Bank staff, sponsors and partners at six specially designated distribution sites in five Hudson Valley counties and help hand out Thanksgiving Day ingredients which will allow families to cook their own meal at home. This over 30-pound bag will be filled with food items (turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, gravy, vegetables, fruit, potatoes and dessert) sourced from local partners. 

In addition, the Regional Food Bank will deliver Thanksgiving meals to a dozen Senior Citizen sites throughout the Hudson Valley.

“We know how much this means to families during these challenging times, and I want to thank our friends at the Regional Food Bank for their incredible work in making this possible,” said Assemblymember Paula Kay.

She added that if you or someone you know needs Thanksgiving meals but can’t travel to one of these locations, please contact my office at 845-794-5807 and we’ll help make arrangements to ensure you receive the meals you need. 

Contributed story from the Regional Food Bank