A growing number of Hudson Valley families are struggling to put food on the table, and children are being affected at an alarming rate, according to the latest Map the Meal Gap report from Feeding America.
Barry Lewis of the Regional Food Bank Hudson Valley said the report found that one in six children across the food bank’s 23-county service area is food insecure.
“Almost 99,000 children” across the region don’t have consistent access to enough food, Lewis said. “You would have to take the Rose Bowl, which seats 100,000, and fill that entire stadium with children. All those children would be food insecure.”
The picture is even more severe in Sullivan County, where about 14% of residents — nearly 12,000 people — experience food insecurity. Among children, nearly one in four, or about 3,900, are food insecure, Lewis said.
He attributed the increase to a combination of rising food prices, higher transportation costs and reductions in SNAP benefits, leaving many working families with difficult financial choices.
“The price of gas, the cost to SNAP benefits, the increase in food and everything else is making families have to make tougher decisions on how much food they’re able to purchase,” Lewis said.
The Regional Food Bank distributed more than 53 million pounds of food last year, one of the highest totals in its history. But Lewis said charitable organizations cannot make up for cuts to federal nutrition programs or the increasing cost of living.
The food bank has responded by expanding pop-up pantry distributions, including recent events in Livingston Manor and Roscoe. Still, Lewis said pantry operators across the region report that shelves are being depleted as more first-time visitors seek assistance.
“We can’t offset the cuts from the federal government,” he said. “For every dollar that we receive, we can basically create three meals.”
Looking ahead to the school year, the food bank is working with Sullivan 180 and A Single Bite to expand food programs that provide meals for students outside of school hours. Lewis said the organization is also establishing food pantries at colleges and community colleges to reach older students experiencing food insecurity.
Lewis encouraged residents to support local hunger relief efforts through donations or volunteer work.
Image: Regional Food Bank