Funding cuts in Washington may hit home in Schoharie County.
Cuts to the US Department of Agriculture will affect the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which provides low-cost food to pantries and agencies that aid families in need.
Many––but not all––local food pantries could be short of food.
“We’ve watched the amount of food from USDA steadily decline,” said Cindy McClure of the pantry at the First Baptist Church in Cobleskill, which aids about 1,300 families per year, though some come only once.
“Things on our list just disappeared. People are scared. People who are already insecure are more scared.”
Through the efforts of the Department of Government efficiency, USDA funds are being cut by $1 billion. About half of that money cut would go to food banks nationwide.
The Regional Food Bank serves more than 1,000 agencies, including those in Schoharie County, across 23 New York counties.
The Latham-based Food Bank buys food from farmers, retailers and wholesalers and makes it available at low cost to pantries and agencies like the Joshua Project.
Food Bank CEO Tom Narducci issued the following statement last week:
“With the suspension of vital USDA funding, we expect to lose 200 tractor-trailers of food––roughly 8 million pounds of essential produce, dairy and proteins. This loss will significantly impact our ability to feed the 350,000 people we serve each month.”
Shortages are already apparent for some food.
“We’ve noticed it’s more difficult to get some items, like peanut butter,” Christy Houck, executive director of Catholic Charities in Cobleskill, which serves more than 800 people annually.
“Meat is in very limited amount. We may just not have what people need. But to be fair, it often fluctuates.”
The First Baptist pantry used to get 10 cases of eggs per month and now gets only five, Ms. McClure said.
“People were picking out four cans of soup. Now they can just pick two,” she added.
The Joshua Project depends on the Food Bank for all food for its Backpack Program, which provides food to families in the summer, when kids don’t get school meals. One backpack has enough food to feed a family for a week or 10 days. The program lasts all summer and reaches all of Schoharie County.
Last year, the Backpack Program delivered 32,000 meals to 320 families in Schoharie County and a small portion of Albany County.
What about this year?
“It’s a grave concern, but we don’t know yet,” said Joshua President Pat Costello. “At the worst, we won’t be able to do it at all.”
Among more than a dozen Schoharie County pantries, at least two don’t expect to be affected by the cuts.
Russ Ryan of the Reformed Church of Middleburgh said his pantry doesn’t accept USDA food because of a requirement asking that food recipients state their income. The pantry board decided they wouldn’t ask, so the pantry takes Food Bank food that doesn’t come from USDA.
And, Mr. Ryan said, the demand isn’t strong.
“It’s nowhere near the pre-COVID levels,” he said. “We’re fully stocked, but we’re not seeing as many people. I can’t explain it.”
Pat McCoy of the ecumenical food pantry at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Middleburgh also noted the lack of demand.
“My food pantry’s so slow, I haven’t ordered food,” Ms. McCoy said. “We’re still open and families can come.”
But if the demand picks up, Ms. McCoy said, “I’m sure [the cut] is going to affect us.”