As Need Grows, A Single Bite Expands Efforts to Feed Sullivan County Families

Audrey Garro, executive director of A Single Bite, has a clear mission: if you have a child in your household and you need food, they are here to help. What began as a grassroots response to food insecurity in Sullivan County has grown into a vital service now providing nearly 1,000 meals a week—a number driven by increasing financial hardship, rising food prices, and changing housing conditions.

“We’re seeing more families where someone has lost a job, lost hours, or even moved into housing without cooking facilities,” said Garro during a recent interview on Radio Chatskill. “It’s very difficult for families to ask for help, but the cost of living is just out of reach for many now.”

The organization delivers fresh, healthy, home-cooked meals directly to families with children. Meals include nutritious proteins, vegetables, and carbohydrates, all packed and delivered by a small team and an “army of volunteers.”

But with the dramatic rise in need has come a set of new challenges—chief among them, keeping up with demand amid rising food costs and limited funding.

“We’ll cook all day, but if the food doesn’t get to people where they need it, it doesn’t matter,” Garro said. “Transportation is a huge issue in rural communities. We learned that during COVID, and it’s still true today.”

Garro noted that while A Single Bite receives generous seasonal donations—particularly from local farmers and markets—protein remains one of the most expensive and essential components of their meals. And as summer draws to a close, food donations typically dwindle, forcing the organization to rely more heavily on purchased ingredients.

“We budget and we do the best we can, just like a family does,” she said. “But we won’t skimp. We’ll continue to provide protein, healthy carbs, and vegetables. 52 weeks a year.”

With little government support, the organization relies heavily on community donations and local partnerships to continue its mission. One such partnership takes center stage this weekend.

On Saturday, August 9, A Single Bite will team up with the Shandelee Music Festival for a special farm-to-table fundraising dinner ahead of the festival’s opening night performance. Chef Jonathan Martinez—who cooks weekly meals for the program—will prepare the dinner, using locally donated produce, Snowdance Farm chicken, and fresh bread from Jeffersonville’s own Terra Bread.

“Music is food for the soul, and so is local food,” said Garro. “To combine both for a cause like this—it’s an honor.”

The evening’s headliner is acclaimed pianist Sara Davis Buechner, and proceeds from the dinner will go directly to support A Single Bite’s meal delivery and nutrition education programs.
Looking ahead to the fall, Garro expressed concern about sustaining the pace of meal production without the fresh surplus of summer donations.

“We’re very fortunate to have relationships with the Regional Food Bank and some local businesses, but we’ll go back to purchasing more, and that’s intimidating,” she admitted.

Still, Garro remains optimistic and grateful—for her volunteers, the support of the community, and those who show up, meal after meal.

“The 900 people a week that we’re feeding—they rely on us. And we rely on this community.”

Learn more at asinglebite.org.

Note: A Single Bite was founded in 2019 by Sims & Kirsten Foster. Kirtsen Foster is a past President of the Radio Catskill Board of Trustees.

Image: A Single Bite has served over 206,000 meals to Sullivan County families since 2020. (Credit: ASingleBite.org)