Area food pantries are running low on food as demand is increasing, officials said Wednesday, and donations are needed.
Sen. Charles Schumer announced that he is introducing a bill to transfer unused food from cafeterias in government buildings to nonprofit agencies for distribution through food banks.
Schumer, D-N.Y., said he expects the bill to pass by unanimous consent in the Senate, and the House of Representatives is expected to approve the legislation. The legislation, if passed and signed by President Bush, would require federal buildings, including military installations, to deliver surplus food to local nonprofits that feed the hungry. In New York state, that would affect courthouses, federal reserves and military bases, among other buildings.
He said "thousands of tons of food, much of which is just thrown out," will become available.
Linda Voss, Delaware Opportunities food bank coordinator, said the demand on the food bank has increased as the price of gas and other fuel has gone up.
"Our food pantries are all being depleted," Voss said. "It would really
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be wonderful good news to get this additional food, and it will be interesting to see what it is."
Voss said the food bank receives donations from collections run by churches, the Boy Scouts, the 4-H Club, colleges and the Post Office, but demand is outpacing supply.
"It's just that we are getting a lot more people," Voss said. "Something has to give."
Maj. James Smith of the Oneonta Salvation Army said the last two or three times they have gotten food from the regional food bank in Albany, "the supplies have been drastically low on things we needed."
He said the Salvation Army normally buys from the Albany center for about 11 cents a pound, but the group has been forced to buy food locally to fill the void.
Smith said requests for food have been up.
"We are probably going to have more requests for holiday assistance than we have ever had before," Smith said. "There are a number of groups and organizations that provide canned goods, nonperishables and funds, but we need more."
Gary Herzig, Opportunities For Otsego chief operating officer, said, "I would certainly welcome any initiative to increase food resources. The Latham regional food bank has not had resources available to meet the needs and any assistance is welcome."
Herzig said the holiday food basket program is under way and about 1,000 baskets will be needed.
"The Holiday Train was an asset because the railway donated cash and local folks brought cans of food," Herzig said. "But we still have a long way to go."
Schumer said the U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics indicate that roughly 300,000 households, or roughly 10 percent of upstate New York, are "food insecure" with limited or uncertain availability of nutritious and safe food. The Capital Region has an estimated 39,463 food-insecure households, while the Southern Tier has an estimated 25,509 food-insecure households.
The Schumer-sponsored bill will also create a coordinator of food security and gleaning at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who will provide technical assistance to agencies of federal, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, agricultural producers and businesses.
Federal programs, such as food stamps, provide much-needed assistance, but such programs do not adjust for New York's high-cost environment, Schumer said.
The state-run Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program helps to fill this gap by supporting soup kitchens, food pantries and emergency shelters throughout New York.
Last year, HPNAP served more than 3.8 million meals to 554,953 people in the Southern Tier, including 178,762 children and 69,270 elderly people.
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Patricia Breakey can be reached at 746-2894 or at stardelhi@stny.rr.com.
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