As a part of the next phase of Project Resilience, County Executive Ryan announces expanded senior meals program

KINGSTON, N.Y. - County Executive Pat Ryan announced today that the next phase of Project Resilience will focus on supporting our seniors through the expansion of temporary food assistance. The Ulster County Office for the Aging, through the generosity of Project Resilience, has an opportunity to feed over 1,000 meals per week to seniors who had previously been on the waitlist due to a cap of state funding for senior meals. By leveraging Project Resilience funding to increase this program, the County will be able to serve an additional 17,000 meals over the winter to keep our seniors safe and well-fed.  The Ulster County Office for the Aging has also received a generous donation from an anonymous donor in New Paltz for $50,000 to increase the number of meals that this program can deliver. Future donations to this cause may enable other needy seniors to get delivered meals in this time of need. Meal delivery for this program will begin on December 21st and will run for at least 12 weeks.

“As County Executive, I am committed to ensuring that our seniors are given the resources and food they need during this critical time,” County Executive Ryan said. “This additional funding, secured through Project Resilience, will allow us to feed our seniors who have been impacted by this pandemic. With the help of the Office for the Aging and our great partners at Gateway Hudson Valley, we will continue to tirelessly advocate for and serve Ulster County seniors.”

“The Ulster County Office for Aging is honored and appreciative of two very generous donations earmarked for helping seniors,” Susan Koppenhaver, Director of Office for the Aging said. “One was a grant from the Project Resilience fund at the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley for $120,000 and the other was from anonymous donors who gave a New Paltz church a donation, with money set aside for seniors in the amount of $50,000.  With these two donations, we will be able to offer our wait list seniors weekly home-delivered meals or meals ready to pick up through our partners at Gateway Hudson Valley, who is our meals purveyor, until the funding expires. We are most grateful for these gifts during these especially difficult times!”

County Executive Pat Ryan announced last week the next phase of Project Resilience. As the county continues to experience a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, Project Resilience will continue to serve as a vehicle to support those most vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic. The next phase of Project Resilience will focus on supporting our seniors and our young people, addressing growing food insecurity by supporting our network of local food banks, and building support systems for Ulster County families that are living paycheck to paycheck. Project Resilience will begin re-activating its grassroots community fundraising today to support these efforts. 

These areas of focus are identified by the Ulster County Recovery Task Force, whose goal has been to ensure a coordinated and compassionate response to the devastating socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on county residents. Since the outbreak of the virus, Ulster County has already seen a surge in SNAP applications, senior meals on wheels requests, and many other key services. Given the ongoing public health crisis and resulting economic dislocation, Ulster County anticipates these needs will continue to grow in scale and scope over the coming months. As informed by the Recovery Task Force, Project Resilience will respond to these challenges across Ulster County, and work to develop new ways to support residents.  

As the needs of our county evolve over the winter, the County will continue to re-imagine Project Resilience to meet the needs of the Ulster County community. Project Resilience has raised $900,000 to support our community through this difficult winter and will roll out support strategically on an ongoing basis. Project Resilience is made possible through partnerships with the United Way and Community Foundations. 

Launched in March, Project Resilience started as a community fund and local food distribution efforts established to support residents impacted by COVID-19. Within 24 hours of its inception, County Executive Ryan secured over $2 million dollars in funding and announced partnerships with municipal governments, local businesses, and not-for-profits. Since launching, Project Resilience has provided nearly 300,000 meals while supporting over 100 small businesses

Donations are accepted here through United Way. For more information on Project Resilience, please visit: https://covid19.ulstercountyny.gov/project-resilience/

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