Saugerties Area Council of Churches food pantry manager Marilyn Richardson said the demand seen at their food pantry has increased by 40 percent this year. Somehow, that must be reconciled with a decrease of donations, which she has calculated as falling nearly 40 percent. (Last year, she said, demand was up 30 percent while donations dropped a similar 30 percent.)
Walk into the pantry, and walk out with one big brown bag and two plastic bags filled with canned goods like chili, stew, ravioli and fruit. (Fresh is more expensive, she said, referring to it as a “luxury.”)
The Saugerties food pantry has been around since 1974, and requires identification and a utility bill to prove Saugerties residency in order to be eligible. Richardson noted an increase in “working poor” who own homes, but have nothing left by the end of the month. “A good percentage of people who are working and have cars are coming in,” she said. “Years ago, it would only be some people who own a car, and maybe a part-time job but not a full-time job. Now we have an open-door policy and it doesn’t matter if you have a full-time job and you own a home. If they have a job and a mortgage but they have nothing left over for groceries, we are here.”
The pantry is funded mostly by large donations from area businesses such Adams Fairacre Farms, and the remaining 20 percent comes from food and housing grants. In 2011, the Saugerties pantry’s monthly average was 257 adults per month; 167 children and 20 seniors — with an overall average of 162 households receiving their assistance monthly.
“People say they can either buy gas, or eat,” said Richardson, who also sourced rising food prices. She said personal hygiene donations are high in demand as well. “I have people coming in with kids who are barely brushing their teeth because they cannot afford toothpaste or toothbrushes,” she said. “There’s these beautiful children, and then when they smile their teeth are all rotted.”
In addition to canned and dry goods, the Saugerties pantry said they need soap, shampoos, toothpaste, toilet paper donations. You can visit SaugertiesFoodPantry.SawyerVision.org, send money donations to PO Box 723, Saugerties,NY 12477 or drop them off at 44 Livingston Street.
A little extra help
The Kingston Church of the Holy Cross at 30 Pine Grove Ave.has opened a “soap closet” in addition to their regular food pantry, with hours the last week of month to supplement people’s exhausted funds. “It’s for people who need a little extra help to get themselves through the end of the month so when they get their paycheck at the beginning of the month they can buy themselves whatever they need,” said volunteer Jean Benkert, explaining that they give away personal hygiene products and laundry detergent every three months. Once a month they package toothpaste, a roll of toilet paper, lotion, sometimes shampoo, sometimes hand soap, she said. One “big product” — such as toothpaste, tooth brush, detergent or dish detergent — and then usually every month toilet paper, bar of soap. The soap closet disseminates 50 bags a month; only one bag of products is allotted per family. “This to me is the highest amount they have ever averaged,” said Benkert. “People have been so lovely, thanking and ‘God blessing’ us. Very gracious people. I haven’t heard anyone be anything else.”
Lake Katrine’s Bread of Life pantry strives to serve their current 120 families three meals per week, said pantry director Justina Karston, who said they’ve created a “shopping experience” to both help foster dignity and reduce waste from people possibly not using unwanted items. The Bread of Life pantry served 3,900 meals in the month of July, and the demand continues to rise. She echoed that personal hygiene items are in demand. Karston also echoed that donations are at an all-time low, steadily declining over the past three years. Karston said many of the families come from nearby motels and trailer park, a mile’s walk. She said they mostly see families in temporary housing, and many of the families are those splitting custody or that of single mothers. Some elderly couples, others who are between jobs, and others who have jobs but need to supplement. Bread of Life also reaches out to domestic violence shelters and homeless camps. The pantry is at 865 Neighborhood Road in Lake Katrine and can be reached at (845) 339-4019. It’s open the first and third Fridays from noon-2 p.m. as well as every Sunday from 12:30-2 p.m.
Nobody turned away … yet
Rosendale Food Pantry board Vice-President Debbie Checchia said she sometimes worries that they will run out of food and have to turn someone away. Thanks to two recent successful food drives, that won’t be happening this month, but that danger is a reality for the pantry, serving 155 families of four or more. She said mostly unemployment is to blame for the increase that she has noticed. There are drops at the Tillson General Store, Rosendale Library and the Rosendale Town Hall for donations. The Rosendale Food Pantry can be reached at (845) 399-7997, and is located on 45 James St., Rosendale. It’s open Mondays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-noon.
Family of Woodstock’s Berg said the immediate answer to the dilemma is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, these days known as SNAP benefits and more widely known as food stamps. People need to eat, insists Berg, adding that even if you blame the parents — an accusation he says he finds “detestable” — children deserve to eat. “I think our government should stop playing games with the poor, and at least let the people eat. People need to eat good food so they stay healthy, and don’t get sick, because that costs us money.”
Great article! We need more coverage on the chronic poverty her in Kingston. It is due to the wonderful food pantries, soup kitchens and volunteers who help run them that the poor have a safety net. This article could have been better served, however, by not interviewing Michael Berg. If you interviewed any of those standing in that line, they will tell you Family of Woodstock seldom, if ever, assists with food, clothing or other basic needs. It runs 2 local shelters, which is outstanding, but does not assist with much of anything else. Typically, they refer the poor to agencies that are already stressed. Family of Woodstock should do more of its’ share in directly assisting the poor, rather then pushing them off on other agencies and churches. The director of People’s Place, would have been a better choice to comment on this article, but then again her office is in Mid-town, which may have been too far.