The Monthly Food Delivery at the Good Neighbor Food Pantry
“It is not necessary to advertise food to hungry people, fuel to cold people, or houses to the homeless.” – John Kenneth Galbraith
Once we began offering a three-day supply of food to every person in every household represented in the shopping line, the supply chain began to organize itself.
Usually, on the third Tuesday of every month, our shipment arrived at the Hannaford’s parking lot in the Kingston Plaza Shopping Center. We had a standing 9:15 a.m. offloading appointment.
On this day, I felt free. The best day of the month was here – Delivery Day! I spent all the week before preparing for this morning. I called the Food Bank every day last week ordering thousands of pounds of food.
Bobbie Blitzer called the delivery caravan members beginning the week before and reminded them to meet in the parking lot outside Hannaford’s.
The caravan team gathered in the parking lot of the shipment delivery day and waited for the truck from the Food Bank of Northeastern New York to offload our shipment which was packed the Friday before on its own pallets. The Food Bank truck drivers and the pantry caravan crew were a dedicated group of individuals who brought the food over every month regardless of the weather – rain, sleet, snow, ice, 100 degree heat, etc.
The empty storeroom was neatened up to receive the fresh load of food.
Now, at last, the food was on its way. I always got excited. Everything that could have been done to get ready for the shipment was done.
We’re ready! They’re coming!
In the very beginning when we first started ordering food monthly, the order weighed 2,000 pounds or so and we felt we had ordered all the food in the whole world. It wasn’t long until 10,000 to 12,000 pounds or so was expected every month. 16,000 pounds was considered a very large order.
Depending on what was in the order, it could seem to be much larger than it was. The result was that occasionally, several of the volunteers returned to Kingston a second time on delivery day.
On delivery day, the building committee allowed me to arrive at the pantry at 8 a.m. instead of the usual 9:00 a.m. Tuesday arrival. I used this time to make necessary last minute changes in the storeroom before the caravan rolled in.
The Hudson Correctional Team usually arrived a little before 9:00 in a dark green van. They went directly to the storeroom and assessed the situation.
Once the caravan rolled in, organized chaos reigned supreme. Go team!
Before coming to the pantry, I stopped at Woodstock Meats for six of their wonderful sandwiches, a large bag of potato chips, a large box of cookies, 6 apples, and a large coke for the men coming over from the Hudson Correctional facility.
Everyone agreed the room couldn’t hold 10,000 pounds of food. But what were we to do? We only got one delivery a month and we were making weekly trips for produce and Friday trips for canned goods. I gritted my teeth, ordered what I could get, and let the men shake their heads. Occasionally Mike Lourenso lost his temper over the amount of food coming in. I just took it. We needed the food. We had the line of credit for it. Experience with the Food Bank taught me that I needed to “strike while the iron was hot” if there was food I needed. Most of the Food Bank stock came from donations and nobody ever knew what next month’s food supply might offer. This was especially true of all USDA products as well as soup, peanut butter, water, bleach, diapers, toilet paper, coffee, surplus baked goods, cereal.
At one point I asked Peggy Johnson to do the ordering. She probably would have been better at this than I, but Mike got so angry at her that I took the job away from her. I couldn’t let anyone else take this anger. After all, I was the coordinator. The buck stopped at my desk.
I loved every one of the Hudson Correctional men. They stacked the food to the ceiling, performing stocking miracles every month. And, what’s more, they did it happily. The guys cheerfully loaded the food in the room until every last box was taken care of. Their correctional officer was a man I totally adored. He was good with them, good with the pantry volunteers, and good with the Anderson guys.
Regular volunteers came to the pantry on delivery day about 8:30 to help stock shelves. Nathan drove The Anderson Center for Autism van over with his crew.
The little pantry was stuffed to the rafters with volunteers stocking the shelves as quickly as possible. Bobbie Blitzer was the Delivery Day room supervisor. Regulars included Leticia when she wasn’t helping with the take outs, Tony Cannistra and Robin Dougherty in addition to people walking in to help.
Peggy Johnson came early on delivery day also. The hallway was a total disaster on delivery day because we had extra volunteers, more than 10,000 pounds of food coming down the hall and we had take out volunteers packing bags…all in the same hallway space at the same time.
While Peggy lined the walls with cardboard, put out the tables, and set the take out bags under the tables, Barry showed up with his Jeep stuffed with boxes of beautiful fresh produce, baked goods and bread from the Hurley Ridge Market. At this point, Peggy, Prasida, Jamie, Laura, Leticia, and Marvalene began packing the take out bags.
“First truck is taking off, Thurman. Expect them in 10-15 minutes.”
Music to my ears!
When I heard those words, I corralled the Hudson guys out front with carts and we waited for the caravan to arrive.
As the first truck arrived, I stationed myself just inside the door of the building.
“Put four boxes in the pantry and wheel the rest in the storeroom.”
“Thanks. Put all of this in the pantry.”
“Keep the line moving guys. Thanks. What’s in those boxes now?”
“Have we got any more room in the pantry for this?”
This banter went on for an hour or so as people jammed the hallway pushing hand carts to the storeroom and the pantry.
Volunteers stocked shelves.
Volunteers filled bags for takeout packages going to homebound households.
Volunteers broke down hundreds of boxes.
We never had an accident in all this organized chaos. Chalk that up to a continuation of miracles.
Then, about 11:00, everything came together.
The pantry would be so full that not one more can, box, or bag could be added.
The last truck carrying food over from Kingston pulled away from the pantry entrance empty, all the food offloaded and taken to the storeroom, or pantry. Frozen foods went to the freezers in the barn.
The Anderson team filled their van with takeout bags and drove away to make deliveries to homebound households.
Father Nicholas and his crew drove away with their van filled with takeout bags.
Prasida, Laura, and Guy each drove away with vehicles filled with deliveries.
The Hudson Crew got their lunch box and took off for the prison.
I took a deep breath.
It was now time to prepare for the Tuesday lunch class/meeting where I offered a meal, the latest news, and a little bit of training and encouragement to the volunteers before Peggy and her crew started packing next week’s canned goods in the take out bags.
I made a second trip to Woodstock Meats for sandwiches for the volunteers. Orders always included roast beef sandwichess (the number three special), ham and cheese, egg salad, and the Italian combo. Every sandwich came on Deising’s Kaiser rolls delivered to Woodstock Meats each morning from Kingston. The lettuce, tomatoes, and onions used all came from local farms.
Woodstock Meats was owned by members of the Christofora family. This family also owned Woodstock Hardware and the Laundromat. It’s my belief that they built the Laundromat less because they wanted to own another business than because they finally realized that if they didn’t do it no one would and then Woodstock wouldn’t have a Laundromat at all.
The Christofora family was good to many people in Woodstock. For example, when the pantry was a fledgling, they offered a sign special on the fence around the ball club. I felt our pantry needed this sign. I was in the process of getting the purchase of the sign approved by the board to meet the deadline when Jim Dougherty started leaping around that we couldn’t do it. When I told Kevin Cristofora we had to back out of the deal, he didn’t even skip a beat. He just gave the pantry a free sign and hosted us at food drives at the Little League Ball Games throughout the summer. For me, that was class.
Our pantry needed to be in the lineup on the fence for inclusion purposes. We were outsiders in the community for many of the people and this was a chance for us to be a little less outside. Kevin made it happen. (The food drives didn’t hurt one bit, either.)
Of course, all this fresh food offered delicious aromas. Woodstock Meats baked its roast beef on the premises and our noses knew the difference. The pickles on the sandwiches were all locally made as were the cheeses.
There was usually a bag of potato chips thrown in. Everyone had cold drinks except Leticia, who liked a fresh coffee from Woodstock Meats.
Sometimes we’d have a cake if someone fessed up to a birthday. When that happened, Barry went to Deising’s Bakery in Kingston and ordered a real birthday cake with raspberry filling, real butter cream frosting, and flowers to decorate the top of the cake.
As often as I took this order, I was never, never, never able to order the right amount of food. We either had a sandwich left over or people had to share.
There’s an art to ordering sandwiches from Woodstock Meats.
None of the food eaten by the volunteers in the pantry came from the Food Bank, or was donated by a grocery store or other generous donor to our pantry. Food Bank guidelines forbade such activities. I made a point of having everyone know where the food came from so there would be no question of the origin.
Besides, the best sandwiches in town came from Woodstock Meats. We didn’t have plates, glasses, fancy napkins, or chairs. But, we had the best food Woodstock had to offer. And, there’s nothing like eating in a refrigerator. In the summer, we set the air conditioner at 60, the lowest setting to keep the produce fresh. In the winter, we just didn’t have any heat.
We all ate the delicious food while I offered a few encouraging words.
“We broke an attendance record again last week.”
“They’re cutting food stamps again so more people will be coming next month.”
“We’ve got to do something about the cardboard. The building committee is really unhappy about the cardboard in the hallway. Can someone help pick up the cardboard and put it in Vanessa whenever it appears to be piling up?”
“We’re really short of items of dignity. There’s no shampoo, deodorant, or toothpaste in the closet. Peggy, can you call a church and see if you can get a drive going?”
“What food do we have in the barn?”
“We’ve got a benefit concert coming up next month. Is anyone volunteering at this event?”
“Thurman, we’ve got to start packing the take outs. Can you cut this short?”
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Peace and food for all.
This is the only post for this week. I’m spending the remainder of this week on special pantry activities. I hope to join you again with blogs on Friday.
Thurman Greco
What About the Pantry Line? Well…What About it? Info for the New Shopper
Food pantries are all about lines. Unless the food pantry you visit is brand new and nobody knows about it yet, the chances are you’re going to stand in a line. Maybe for only a few moments…maybe for an hour or more.
Don’t fret. This is your time to look, listen, and learn.
How long has the person in front of you been coming to the pantry? What advice does this person have for you?
People in lines have a tendency to speak about what’s going on in their lives. You, as a new pantry shopper can learn a lot by just listening and asking questions.
Are you going through a a foreclosure, for example? With luck, you’ll meet a person who’s walked down this street and who is willing to share his/her story. You may learn some helpful information.
Are you trying to get registered for SNAP? You’ll find tips from people in this line?
Perhaps you need your car fixed and don’t have the money for the expensive dealership repairs. The pantry line is a good place to network for names of two or three people who fix autos for less.
You will meet many, many kinds of people in the pantry line and the tendency the first two or three visits is to feel like you’ll never fit in here…and also to feel like you don’t want to ever fit in.
That’s a totally appropriate feeling. But, one of the big things happening at a pantry is meeting all kinds of people. I, personally, feel like it’s an important part of the journey.
Ideally, a pantry line is a safe space. It’s an opportunity to feel unafraid and to feel as if you are part of a community…which you are.
Thank God for the opportunity to meet the people and be a part of this community. The pantry line offers you an opportunity to enrich your life.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Pets of the Good Neighbor Food Pantry in Woodstock, New York
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
One of the most tragic things I witnessed in the pantry was a person giving up a pet because s/he could no longer feed it.
The second most tragic thing I witnessed in the pantry was a person getting food in the pantry for the pet when there was no pet food available. First would come the hopeful question: “Is there any pet food today?” When the answer was “no.”, the person simply went to “Plan B” and take all the allowed items that could possibly be fed to a dog: cereal, bread, canned stews and meats, dried or liquid milk, green beans, carrots, potatoes.
As the economy tanked, people began to give up their pets when they could no longer buy food, grooming, and veterinary visits.
“Hi Thurman. Brian Shapiro here. How are you today?”
“I’m fine Brian. What can I do for you?”
“It’s not what you can do for me Thurman. It’s what I can do for you. Can you use a carload of pet food?”
“Brian, my shoppers are always looking for ways to get food for their pets. Can I send Barry over today? What’s a good time for you?”
Brian and I had this conversation several times over a span of time when shelters everywhere were overwhelmed with dogs. He called from the SPCA in Kingston. The theory was that if they could keep pet food available to the people, then they could prevent the shelter from being overloaded. This helped.
For several months we had a steady supply of food for our pantry dogs and cats. However, all was not well received with the building committee and after awhile we were forbidden to carry any food which was not for humans.
I was never comfortable stocking pet food after that. One winter I stocked cat litter claiming that it could be used for icy sidewalks and driveways.
We had many wonderful pets in our lineup at the pantry. Some of them accompanied their owners to shop at the pantry weekly.
Dianne Dunne had a large black Labrador retriever, Bear, who went with her everywhere. When she came into the pantry, he placidly stayed in the car. In the summer the windows were rolled down and he never jumped out.
Morningstar Raindance always traveled with an energetic short haired chihuahua. She tied Unity to the fence outside the entrance of the pantry. He patiently waited for her while she shopped. When it was cold, she dressed him in a little brown coat.
Cowboy had a very large shorthaired hound mix whom he totally adored. Helena went everywhere with Cowboy. She stayed outside in the yard when he shopped. One of Cowboy’s girlfriends made Helena a coat which she wore in the cold weather.
Diana had an Alaskan Malamute with one blue eye and one silver eye. She had disabilities and Whitey went with her everywhere. This created a bit of stress for us because of the health issues but she and Whitey always made it into the pantry. Diana was a beautiful young woman who definitely needed assistance. Guy Oddo was always on hand to help her read the labels on the cans/boxes, put items into her bags, and carry them to her car…which Diana then drove away. While all of this was happening, Whitey stuck to her like glue – protecting and guiding her.
Father Woodstock and Lady Esther came to the pantry weekly with Hector, their little Lhasa Apso mix. Hector rode in the colorful cart Father Woodstock used when he brought Lady Esther to shop. Father Woodstock and Lady Esther both wore beautiful dresses made of floral silk prints. The color emphasis was red. They dressed up their ensembles with silk kimonos. When they didn’t wear kimonos, they liked ornate silk jackets. They liked long skirts. They both also liked Teva sandals. Both of them painted their toenails. And, of course, both of them had long silver hair and beards.
“Father Woodstock is coming!” announced their runner every time they were on their way to the pantry. He served as the town herald.
Sure enough, within five minutes, Father Woodstock, Lady Esther, and Hector arrived. Father Woodstock always parked the cart at the entrance under the shade of a tree so Hector wouldn’t get overheated.
While Hector waited outside in the cart, Father Woodstock and Lady Esther came in, signed in the register, and shopped. Father Woodstock always told the women how beautiful they are as he tooted a little bicycle horn attached to his walking stick for emphasis.
The Sisters came weekly in a SUV with all their children, one of the women’s husbands, and a little lhasa apso mix, Pokey. The Sisters, between them, had nine children. Everyone patiently waited while they shopped. With a household that large, the amounts of food which went went out to the car were enormous. They carried away cases of USDA, armloads of bread, and anything else they could get that was edible. Even with so many people in the household, they only got one roll of toilet paper and one other item of dignity.
While all this was happening, Brandy, who lived next door in the Woodstock B&B on the Green, was out in the B&B garden greeting the many shoppers. Brandy, herself, was always perfectly groomed and behaved. People liked having Brandy in the garden while they were waiting to get into the building. She was a little bit of a distraction.
She was also a strong grounding influence, something badly needed when the weather was extreme and the lines long.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Children in the Good Neighbor Food Pantry in Woodstock
Everything tells us that children who grow up in poverty are much more likely to be adults in poverty.” – Peter Edelman
Invisible, almost, children came with their parents to the pantry weekly for food. These children are so well behaved in the line and in the pantry. How those kids stood in line with their parents all that time every week and remained well behaved, I’ll never know.
As more and more households work more and more hours at minimum wage jobs to pay more and more money for rent, more and more families are appearing in pantry lines.
That means children. Prior to 2008, there were few to no children in the line at the Good Neighbor Food Pantry in Woodstock. “There weren’t any lines either. With the downfall of the economy, more and more children were seen in the hallways.
For the most part, these children were beautiful, alert, intelligent. They were brought by parents or grandparents to shop for a three-day supply of food which lasted seven days.
Every time I saw a child in the pantry I was grateful for the efforts our pantry volunteers made weekly to get the most nutritious food we could find and being back to our pantry. The pantry carried some cookies, cakes, and occasional bags of chips. For the most part, our food was the best we could find. Anything organic we could find was brought back to our pantry.
Every time I saw a child in the pantry I was grateful for the efforts of their parents and grandparents made weekly to bring them to get the most nutritious food available because Woodstock had no supermarket.
People bought food in Woodstock at the CVS, RiteAid Pharmacy, Cumberland Farms, and Woodstock Meats. Woodstock was also home of the famous Sunflower Natural Foods Market but many of our shoppers simply couldn’t afford the prices there. Ditto for Sunfrost. Technically, Woodstock, New York, is a grocery store desert. The nearest grocery store is Hurley Ridge Market, an IGA, located seven miles out on Rte 375 in the community of West Hurley. There is no sidewalk to this store. A Price Chopper is eleven miles away in Saugerties on Route 212.
One household with children came to the pantry weekly with their parents. This household was a household of volunteers. They shopped at the pantry, too. When the pantry was open, Robert and Mikey were there with their parents Richard and Jamie Allen.
Richard stood outside the building as the pantry was opening.
Richard carefully watched the parking lot to keep the chaos down.
Richard managed the hallway.
Richard totally knew the stock in the storeroom.
Richard made sure everyone shopping at the pantry had help getting their food to their cars.
Richard made friends with everyone in the shopper line.
Richard walked down to the barn several times each afternoon when the pantry was open.
Richard stood in the pantry room when the shopping line was overcrowded.
Richard was always on the lookout for anything which might upset the flow of the people into the pantry.
Richard taught Robert to help out in the pantry.
Richard taught Robert to break down the used cardboard boxes.
Richard and Robert did their best to keep the cardboard out of sight.
Richard taught Robert to help out in the barn.
Richard taught Robert to haul groceries out to the shoppers’ cars.
Richard taught Robert to get the handcart ready for the food when a large household came shopping so there wouldn’t be so much heavy lifting.
Richard didn’t teach Robert to climb to the top shelves in the storeroom to retrieve much needed items. Robert learned that on his own.
Robert, 10, loved food…any kind of food. Whenever Robert wasn’t otherwise occupied helping out in the pantry, breaking down cardboard boxes, helping his dad in the storeroom, the barn or the parking lot, he liked to come to the pantry room and eat anything that didn’t eat him first…raw. I always felt Robert is destined to be a chef someday.
Little Mikey, 5, was never unhappy or trying to get into trouble. Mikey wanted nothing more than to help out in any way possible. Of course, being 5, Mikey invented ways to help if we didn’t give him direction. All in all, he was a gift to the pantry, smiling and greeting everyone who came. For many, this was transformational. Mikey was therapy.
Everyone at the pantry smiled when the Allens showed up to volunteer. They had their own little caravan going. Rich drove in with Robert riding shot gun. They had a bright chartreuse repurposed ambulance which still had the sirens.
Jamie drove a 22-year-old red Ford pickup with a black camper top which Richard and Robert kept going.
Jamie helped assemble the food for the take out bags.
Jamie helped pack the take out bags.
Jamie helped in the hallway.
Jamie assisted the older and infirm shoppers.
Jamie was loved by everyone.
Children are important in a pantry. For one thing, there are many malnourished children needing the food offered by pantries. It’s estimated that 75% of the people shopping at pantries are food insecure which means they don’t have enough food to eat on a regular basis.
It’s also estimated that 25% of the people receiving food at pantries are children. Malnourished children experience more learning difficulties and more illnesses. Hungry children have a difficult time learning. They get sick more often than their well nourished classmates.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
What Goes Up Sometimes Goes Down!!!!
Ron Van Warmer told us today: “The new statistics on elder hunger are now one in seven.”
I rejoiced! Ron, Associate Director of the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, was sharing the latest results of the 2012 Feeding America survey. The 2010 survey (in which I participated) reported the statistics at one in five. The new information tells me fewer seniors are going to bed at night hungry than in the past.
Many people go to bed hungry at night these days but the elder hungry are a true tragedy. As a group, most retired citizens in our nation spent their lives working and paying taxes. Now that their incomes are limited and their expenses are not, they no longer have the money for food. They’re finding themselves, just like younger people in the new Struggling Class, choosing between food and gas, food and medicine, food and heating bills.
Seniors, as a group, are loathe to ask for food stamps or go to food pantries. They don’t see the pantry food given to them for what it is – our tax dollars at work. They overlook the fact that all the produce is diverted from a landfill. Most of the diverted produce in our area is both organic and gorgeous as well.
Instead, they see themselves as poor planners unable to care for themselves in their old age. They don’t take into account that the rules have drastically changed since 2008. Many senior citizens are afraid to ask for help getting SNAP or finding a pantry because they’re afraid that if someone finds out they don’t have enough food, they’ll end up in an assisted living center or nursing home.
Several weeks ago Sara called me from an apartment complex located in the forest off Route 28 in Ulster County. “Thurman, I want to thank all of you at the Reservoir Food Pantry for delivering food to us out here weekly. We’re miles from a grocery store or pharmacy and without your deliveries many of us would go hungry. In fact, recently, Mary was going hungry. I found out last month that she was completely out of food because she spent her food budget money on a birthday gift for a grandchild.
Thurman, I got myself in my scooter and rode from apartment to apartment asking for food from all the residents for her so she wouldn’t be hungry.”
This story really sends a message. When you realize that the woman telling me the story of how she went from apartment to apartment had lost both legs at the hip and one arm at the elbow. Her efforts to get food for a neighbor were astounding considering her obstacles.
When they finally reach the point where they can’t buy food anymore, seniors run a risk of getting sick which puts an additional burden on the children and grandchildren who will have to care for them. I know I don’t want to put this burden on my children. I feel that I’m not alone with this attitude. Food pantries are there for the hungry. Elderly poor are loathe to visit them. Instead of seeing a pantry for what it is: their tax dollars at work, they see only the shame of it all. Pantries are still taboo in our country. So, rather than experience the shame, they go without food.
Most pantries offer a three-day supply of food. Many offer fresh, organic produce, fresh dairy products, and freshly baked breads.
Hunger in America is a true hidden tragedy. No one in this great nation of ours should go hungry. When people, older people, experience living without sufficient food, it’s a crime.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Tom Pacheco
“Don’t Be Scared. Do Not Yield.” – Tom Pacheco
We stalked him for five whole days, Harriet Kazanski and I, in the weeks before the first music festival. We wanted the legendary Tom Pacheco to play for the crowd at the festival.
We went over to Maria’s at different times during the day because we knew he hung out there when in town. And, every time we went we heard pretty much the same thing: “He didn’t come in yet today. Try back around 5:00.”
Or, we’d hear: “You just missed him. He left a little while ago.”
Maria always had the most comforting smile. I felt like a teenager chasing a movie star. Tom Pacheco is a legend throughout the world and we were really hoping against hope.
When we finally tracked him down one afternoon about 4:00, he was wonderful. He turned us down on the music festival but he offered one better. “I’ll give you a concert. Here’s my phone number. Call me in the fall and we’ll schedule something in February. I want to give this concert for you. I’m writing a song about hunger.”
I shyly thanked him, got back in Harriet’s car and we drove away. Our hearts were singing!
And, give a concert he did! He gathered some of his friends: Brian Hollander, the Cupcakes, (Lyn Hardy, Elly Wininger, and Janice Hardgrove), Dave Kearney, Dan Wininger, and Norm Wennert.
Lucy Swensen of the Turning Mill designed the posters advertising the evening and they were posted all over town.
On a cold evening the following February we all gathered at the Community Center at 7:00 p.m. That was, of course, a really early time for Tom and the musicians but pantry people have their own time clock and this was the hour they chose.
Volunteers made cookies. Laura and Peggy brought coffee pots. Somebody else brought a tea pot. Coffee was made. Tea was brewed. The energy gathered.
People arrived. The event charge was all by donation. Some people dropped coins in the jar. Others brought bags of food for the pantry. Yet others wrote extremely generous checks.
The event managed itself. It was an evening right out of the old “Union Hall” days. Different performers got up, played their music, and then turned the mike over to the next person on the list.
Someone suggested that I get up and be the M.C. I didn’t dare. If I did, I would begin to talk about hunger and ruin everyone’s fun time. Tom knew exactly what to do. And it was a perfect evening. Tom is the consummate professional.
When Tom played his song about hunger, I cried.
Tom asked his triends to join him on the stage that night. At one point, he had the local newspaperman, Brian Hollander, play with him. I loved it. Tom would be playing and singing along and then tap his foot loudly and say “Hit it Brian!”
And, Brian would play his heart out.
Every person in that room had a wonderful evening. Tom did that for the pantry. We are eternally grateful.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reservoir Food Pantry Launches May Food Drive
The Reservoir Food Pantry in Boiceville, NY is launching an early summer food drive beginning today and running through the end of May.
All food and items of dignity you donate go directly to the needy who visit the pantry or to the needy who receive food packages delivered to their homes.
Funds donated are used to purchase food, items of dignity, and gasoline to go to Latham, NY to pick up food.
The Reservoir Food Pantry opened its doors last September 9th. Volunteers began by delivering food to homebound individuals and households in the area of the Ashokan Reservoir in Ulster County, New York. The numbers of people asking to use the Reservoir Food Pantry services has steadily increased since that time…so much so that the pantry is now distributing food three days weekly. People visiting the pantry or receiving food receive a three-day-supply of food.
People using the Reservoir Food Pantry are making hard choices. They’re choosing between food and medicine, or food and transportation, or food and rent.
Many are food insecure. They are struggling to have enough food to eat. And, they are going hungry.
Children are not exempt from this situation. Volunteers at the pantry work hard to see that the children of families using the pantry have enough to eat.
To donate food or items of dignity, please drop them off at the Community Bank in Boiceville, and the Olive Town offices.
If you prefer to send a check, please make it out to the Reservoir Food Pantry, P. O. Box 245, Boiceville, New York, 12412.
It’s easy to include the Reservoir Food Pantry in your gift giving plans. Simply send a check to the Reservoir Food Pantry and include the name and address of the person receiving the gift. We’ll send them a lovely card telling them that a gift was sent in their name.
Traditionally, donations of food and/or money to food pantries decline in the summer. Often, by August, pantries are dangerously low on food. Their supplies are depleted. We are determined to avoid this situation in the Reservoir Food Pantry if we possibly can. We are working to have enough food on hand to meet the increased need throughout the coming summer months…and beyond.
We thank you for your generosity. We thank you for supporting a local charity. We thank you for thinking of those around you who are in need at this time.
For more information, please call 845-399-3967.
Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
What, Exactly, Can I Get With a Food Stamp Card (SNAP)?
Hunger is not an issue of charity. It is an issue of justice.” – Jacques Diouf
This post is dedicated to anyone whose money is just not going as far as
it used to go.
This post is dedicated to anyone who has more month than money.
Are you getting food stamps?
If the answer to this question is “no”, please read further to figure out how to get a SNAP card.
Please don’t be embarrassed or shocked by this. People just like you and me are receiving and using SNAP everyday. They use SNAP to help make ends meet while buying nutritious food. This is the new way we live in the 21st century.
Many people over 60 years of age are having trouble finding money for food…every month. When seniors don’t get enough to eat, they eventually get sick. When this happens, a burden is placed on children and grand children.
I, for one, don’t want this to happen to me and I’m sure you feel the same way.
We’ve all worked for many years and paid our taxes dutifully. Now that we’re retired, our incomes are fixed but our expenses are not. Now is our chance to receive some benefits.
Here is what will happen if you apply for food stamps (SNAP). If you hit the jackpot, you’ll get enough funds each month loaded onto a debit card which you can use to purchase all the food you and your household members need.
If you win less and don’t really get the jackpot, you’ll get something. Either way, you’ll get more food than you had before you applied.
And, when you use SNAP you may save enough money to have a little cash in your wallet that you didn’t have before.
If you apply for benefits and are denied, please find out why. You may have mistakenly answered a question incorrectly.
Food Stamp funds come in a debit card which can be used at a grocery store, gas station convenience store, farmers market or other food outlet. With this little card you can purchase fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy products, bread, cereal. You can purchase food that is fresh, frozen, or canned.
What you cannot purchase is inedible products such as toilet paper, soaps, tooth paste. You are also prohibited from purchasing restaurant food. You cannot purchase foods or meals prepared for in store dining. Beer, liquor, wine, and tobacco are prohibited.
It does take some effort to get this card. You need to apply for it. A form needs to be filled out.
You’ll be asked to give your name, address, date of birth, social security number, the names and ages of people who live with you, your total household income and your monthly expenses.
If you are asked to provide any documents, please only use copies. You keep the original documents in your own files.
SNAP uses your income, shelter costs and medical expenses to determine your benefit amount.
You can apply for SNAP benefits by mail, fax, or in person at your local Department of Social Services office.
If you live in New York State, call 1-800-342-3009 for the address of the office nearest you.
If you want, you can have another person apply for you. An interview is required, but you can have a telephone interview if you cannot go to the office.
You may qualify for SNAP even if you work, receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or retirement benefits.
You can apply for SNAP even if you own a house or car, have money in the bank, or live with other people.
If you know someone who might be able to benefit from having a SNAP card, please share this information with them. Statistics tell us that one senior in seven doesn’t have enough to eat.
There is no excuse for anyone in our beautiful nation to go hungry.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman Greco
Reservoir Food Pantry – Then and Now
One thing about our pantry that makes us different is that we’re feeding people on a weekly basis ” – Deborah Nigrelli
I walked through the torn plastic curtain covering the entrance to the produce room exactly at 10:30 last Monday morning, just like always.
Except, it wasn’t like always. We hadn’t shopped for produce at the Food Bank in six months.
We parked the van in a slot, raced over to the edge of the Food Bank building and grabbed the only metal flat bed cart available – a 3′ x 5′ wheeled platform to hold all the precious cargo we hoped to find here.
For a few moments, it felt as if we’d shifted into another dimension. Everything looked the same – but it wasn’t. It was as if someone had built a theater set of the Food Bank produce room to trick or fool us. My knee jerk reaction was to ask myself “Where am I…?” Fifty or so years ago, I would have said that I had dipped into the Twilight Zone. But, we don’t say that anymore and I don’t know what people say now anyway.
Then, reality hit. This was the same place with six hard months of wear and tear later. The produce area had simply been “rode hard and put up wet” as my grandmother used to say.
Even the produce cart wasn’t right. It had seriously aged in the last six months. Two wooden slats were missing and one wheel appeared to be about to fall off. We wheeled it over to the produce area. Even though the distance was less than fifteen feet, we doubted the cart would make it. As soon as we got the cart to the produce, we got excited.
Smells waked up our noses: pineapple, oranges, lemons, limes, bananas, onions, tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, onions, eggplant, broccoli, bread, cakes. We piled it all on the cart as quickly as possible before one of the younger, faster, stronger pantry volunteer shoppers crowded in the room could swoop down and grab all the precious food before us.
It can happen. It has happened. More than once.
“Hey Thurman, look at those pineapples! How many should we get?” she asked as she loaded food onto the cart as fast as she could get her hands on the boxes.
“Listen grab all those carrots. They’re organic.” As I spoke those words, I hefted the 100-lb bag onto the cart.
“Well, look at the apples. They’re organic too.” On the cart went three cases. And, on and on it went. We walked down the line.
In truth, most of the food is organic. It’s also “past its prime” so it’s donated to the Food Bank. Everything given to the Food Bank has been left on the shelves at the super market because it was too old, too big, too small, bruised, misshapen, and left on the shelves at the super market.
In truth, it’s all diverted to the Food Bank on its way to the the landfill.
In truth, I have much in common with this produce. I’m too old, too misshapen, too big, and I’ve been passed by a a few or so times in my life…especially in the recent past.
Shopping here today was like seeing an old friend after a long absence. “Wow. She’s aged. Wow. We’ve all aged.”
For a moment I felt myself aging.
For a moment, I saw myself for what I am – an aging crone accompanied by a retired Woodstock herbalist turned Hindu (Amma) devotee – struggling to lift case after case of food that I shouldn’t lift. But, who else was there?
This haul was some kind of miracle (they all are, actually.) We loaded all this precious food along with cases of cereal, whole wheat pasta, canned green beans, and canned fruit cocktail in the hold of Vanessa, an also aging Dodge Grand Caravan, and returned to Boiceville. We arrived just in time to set up our tables in front of the Wastewater Treatment Plant before the first shoppers arrived.
They trickled up, slowly, some a little hesitant, trying to figure out how to act at a food pantry. Soon, people were visiting, chatting, getting to know one another over apples, asparagus, onions.
In a pantry, we feed alcoholics, artists, child abusers, children, colorful characters, crazies, the disabled, druggies, drunks, elderly men and women, hardworking people juggling two and three jobs, homeless, mentally ill, messed-up people, musicians, normal people, people battling terminal illness, politicians, schizophrenics, thieves, veterans, writers, and volunteers.
Today was a little different from other Mondays, however. We doubled our numbers this week.
This event could have “thrown” other volunteers, just as the appearance of the Food Bank “threw” me earlier in the morning. But, not this crowd. Because all of us working at the Reservoir Food Pantry are experienced, we just went into expansion mode. Before 3:00, we were discussing where we’re going to put the new shelves we’re buying and what specifications our next truck is going to have.
Because, we all know one thing: census numbers rise in a pantry. They don’t go down. The Boiceville area has needed a pantry for awhile so we’re prepared to expand to meet the demand created by the increasing number of shoppers.
Our job is to make sure that we get enough food on our Monday morning trips to Latham…no matter what
Peace and food for all.
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Thurman Greco
Stealing?
“There’s a difference between criminals and crooks. Crooks steal. Criminals blow some guy’s brains out. I’m a crook.” – Ronald Biggs
“If a day comes when we don’t have any volunteers, all we have to do is put a nail in the wall and hang up the key. The shoppers will let themselves in the pantry, shop, and lock the door behind them.”
I always take pride in saying the Good Neighbor Food Pantry didn’t even need volunteers.
Of course, this was an exaggeration. But it applied to many of our regular shoppers who knew the rules, knew how much food they were allowed to take, and respected the system. It did not, however, apply to all of the shoppers nor did it apply to all the volunteers. We had several shoppers and volunteers who simply could not live with the three-day supply of food rule.
Pantries, by their nature, are overrun with rules. They are layered with rules. The rules have rules. There are more rules than cans of food in food pantries.
First, the Food Bank has rules: what kind of food we can serve and to whom, what the pantry should look like and how clean it should be, who gets the food.
Shelving is to be six inches away from the walls.
The bottom shelf of each unit is to be six inches off the floor.
The USDA food must be displayed.
Pantry volunteers receive safe food handling training at least once every five years.
The pantry has to comply with food safety standards.
Pantries are not allowed to barter food with other agencies.
Pantries are not allowed to give food to other agencies.
All the food is to be distributed to specifically designated needy persons.
The Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program has a whole other selection of rules, guidelines focusing on how much food we should serve and what its nutritional value should be.
Pantries are expected to offer fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, and proteins.
Pantries are expected to support the MyPlate guideline on food selection.
Pantries are expected to serve the shoppers with dignity.
Pantries are required to serve a minimum of a three-day supply of food to recipients.
Pantries may never discriminate against anyone in the provision of service to the hungry.
And, of course, in the Good Neighbor Food Pantry, the building committee was not to be outdone by anyone else. The building committee had its own list of rules:
The building committee was concerned with the hours we could be in the building.
The building committee was concerned with which days of the week we could be in the building.
The building committee was concerned with how many chairs could be in the hallway.
The building committee was concerned about what products we could have in the hallway.
The building committee was concerned with when and where we could be in the parking lot.
The building committee was concerned with when the produce could come into the building and how long it could stay.
The building committee was concerned with the cardboard.
Finally, the rabbis, pastors, and priests of the Woodstock Interfaith Council liked to chime in when I got too enthusiastic and raised to much money or fed too many people.
The important thing was to refrain from serving the unworthy hungry.
I divided the whole crowd into four groups. The first group I jokingly referred to as the Hot Doggers. These people liked to make the rules whether or not they had the authority. And, if they didn’t have the authority to make the rules, who cared? “Scream loud enough and you’ll be heard” seemed to be the motto.
The second group I sadly referred to as the followers. These were the shoppers and volunteers who had trouble dealing with the layers and layers of rules. At one point in the timeline of the pantry, (leading up to and during the Inquisition), people asked each other “what are today’s rules” as the building committee grappled with how many chairs we could have in the hallway for the shoppers, whether or not we could offer food in the hallway, and whether or we could offer diapers or pet food.
This group (the followers) was really in a bad place during some of the uncertain times in the pantry. They needed the food and they were voiceless. Absolutely no one cared what their needs were. It was hardest on those with mental and emotional issues.
One shopper summed it all up on several Wednesdays when she ran through the parking lot yelling “Thurman Greco is a fucking asshole!” at the top of her lungs.
And, finally, the third group was the onlookers. These were the people who lived in the community, lifted not one finger to help, and gave not one penny of support. Their claim to fame was their criticism of all the people who came to the pantry to shop or work and their criticism of everything that happened to the pantry even though they had never been to the place and knew nothing about what was going on.
It finally boiled down to respect. A fourth group was made up of shoppers and volunteers who didn’t care a whit about the rules, what was good for the pantry, what was expected of them, or anything else. All they knew was there was a lot of food finally coming through the place and they wanted it.
No matter what.
One such shopper was a beautiful young woman with two gorgeous daughters who had been coming to the pantry for years. She brought her children, as infants, with her every time she visited the pantry. The children became toddlers, then young children. The oldest daughter became ten. Gorgeous children. One day I realized she was teaching them to steal food.
She came into the crowded room with her two children who immediately scattered to different parts of the room and began to put food in the little bags. There was absolutely no way a person could follow what these three were doing. Final analysis required that an extra volunteer come into the already overcrowded room and supervise the children.
We had a cluster of shoppers who liked to come right at pantry closing time when we were distracted and under pressure with closing activities. Some came in the hope of taking extra produce home with them. Others came expecting to grab an extra can or two of some favorite product.
“You’re only allowed to take one can from that shelf, Sara.”
“Sorry. I forgot.”
One volunteer managed to squirrel away fifteen frozen pizzas.
One shopper, a young man with beautiful, shoulder length, auburn hair, tried to make off with ten bags of dried black beans.
“Put the beans back. We need to have enough bags for everyone. We won’t have enough if you guys take more than your share.”
No answer.
One volunteer brazenly went into the storeroom and carried out two large boxes of food she felt was owed to her simply because she was a volunteer.
“Dana, that food is for the take outs. You can’t take it.”
“Yes I can. I want it and you can’t stop me.”
“Dana, you can’t return here anymore.”
Then, we had one volunteer who went over to the items of dignity closet one afternoon and stuffed her pockets.
“Jean, what are you doing with all these items? We barely have enough to pass out to our shoppers.”
“These are for my friends.”
“Well, you can’t take them. Your friends aren’t signed in and we need these items for our registered shoppers. You know the rules. You’ve been working here a long time.”
One volunteer went around to area grocery stores and picked up foods for the Good Neighbor Food Pantry. Some of this food actually made it to the pantry. However, a portion of it was diverted to this volunteer’s friends and neighbors. The argument could be made that she distributed the food to people who needed it. That’s all well and good. However, she led the grocers to believe she was taking the food to the pantry to distribute to the hungry. She was being dishonest with the grocers who were entrusting the food to her. This reflected poorly on our pantry, I felt, as well as on all other pantries.
Finally, we had our mystery shoppers. Almost every week or two we came into the pantry to find that food had been removed from the shelves over the weekend. This was true in both the pantry and the storeroom.
Considering how many people went through the pantry, the thefts were very few.
As a pantry coordinator, I tried to convince everyone that the food on the shelves in a pantry is not there for the entertainment and amusement of disrespectful volunteers. Neither is it on the shelves for shoppers to take regardless of the rules.
Rather, the food belongs to the State of New York. It is only when it is put in one’s shopping bag after the person is signed in at the reception table that it becomes the property of the shopper.
The Food Bank and the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program people had definite guidelines about how much food could be taken by both shoppers and volunteers alike. These rules were known by everyone.
Conclusion: Being a thief is a genetic trait.
