Can you imagine lacking the resources to buy enough food for your family? When hunger becomes a reality, north country residents turn to their local food pantries. Access to pantries is especially critical in the winter months as families contend with the added expense of heating their homes. Here at Community Action, we operate a busy pantry, serving hundreds of families each month. Since December, we have distributed food packages equivalent to more than 41,000 meals.
It is challenging to maintain adequate food supplies to meet the need. Yet today, in spite of a busy winter season, our pantry shelves are stocked and ready for our friends and neighbors, thanks to a generous gift from the Northern NY Community Foundation. Earlier this year, the Community Foundation announced its continued commitment to local pantries and soup kitchens with a gift of $30,000 to be distributed to organizations throughout Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties.
Our share of this gift comes at a critical time, and we are very grateful for the continued support of the Northern NY Community Foundation, as are the many families who visit the pantry when they have nowhere else to turn. We offer sincere thanks to all those who support the foundation for making this gift possible.
The pantry at Community Action Planning Council receives financial support from a variety of sources, including the Food Bank of Central NY, the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), and the Northern New York Community Foundation, as well as donations and food drives coordinated by area businesses and individuals.
Visitors to the food pantry are provided with a five-day supply of food (three meals per day) for each member of the household. Food packages contain a variety of food items in keeping with nutrition guidelines from the Food Bank of Central New York. For more information about the Food Pantry or other Community Action services, please contact 315.782.4900, extension 271.