As a part of the next phase of Project Resilience, County Executive Ryan announces funding to go towards local food pantries
This funding will provide roughly 120,000 additional meals for residents bringing the total meals through Project Resilience to nearly half a million
KINGSTON, N.Y. - County Executive Pat Ryan is pleased to announce that Project Resilience has awarded additional funding to address food insecurity and youth programming in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing support for local food pantries. Project Resilience will be granting $80,000 to 16 pantries across Ulster County to help support the surging needs that pantries are seeing this winter. Additionally, Project Resilience will be partnering with the YMCA to launch a new drop-in childcare program in Ellenville.
Project Resilience surveyed every pantry in Ulster County and asked how their operations had been impacted by COVID-19. The average pantry has seen its clients double and has been facing shortages of volunteers. These grants ranging from $3,000-$8,000 per pantry will help them increase their services. We anticipate that 120,000 additional meals will be provided through this additional funding.
Project Resilience is also partnering with the YMCA to help sponsor a new drop-in child care program for kids in grades K-6 in Ellenville. This program will begin on February 1st to support working parents in Ellenville. Ellenville School District has been in need of a child care program and afterschool program for youth even prior to the pandemic. COVID-19 has intensified this need, with the YMCA licensed by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) last year to operate a child care program at the Ellenville Elementary School, Project Resilience wanted to help provide greater access to the program and facilitate the opening of the Y's program.
“As County Executive, I am committed to ensuring that our residents are given the resources and food they need during this critical time,” County Executive Pat Ryan said. “This additional funding, secured through Project Resilience, will allow us to support our local food pantries in feeding more residents who have been impacted by this pandemic. I am grateful that we are able to support more youth programs and food programs at this time of need.”
“We greatly appreciate this partnership with Ulster County Project Resilience and the United Way of Ulster County, this is a great example of our government working together with community organizations to meet a community need, said Heidi Kirschner, CEO and President of the YMCA of Kingston and Ulster County. “We are happy to help provide child care for so many families who have needed this type of program for far too long.”
“We have had a great increase on the number of families that depend on us,” Charlotte Knapp, Rondout Valley Food Pantry said. “At one point during the summer, we coordinated with County Executive Pat Ryan's Office for Project Resilience and served all but two townships in our county via delivery only. If we did not increase the frequency of our days we are open, or the number of times a guest may receive groceries in a week our community would have been affected even more so than they already are.”
“We are seeing people at the Pantry who have never had food insufficiency before and the number of people we are serving is almost double,” Reverend Childs from Pointe of Praise Family Life Center Pantry said. “We are so blessed to have our community stepping up through Project Resilience to support us this winter.”
Pantries Receiving Funds Include:
People's Place
The Table at Woodstock
Hunger is Not an Option
Rondout Valley Food Pantry
Pointe of Praise Family Life Center Pantry
Town of Rochester Food Pantry
Ascension Holy Trinity Mission Center Food Pantries
New Day Food Pantry
Family of New Paltz
Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry
St. Charles Helping Hands Food Pantry
Plattekill Food Pantry
Good Neighbor Food Pantry of Woodstock
Family of Ellenville
Hodge Center
Family of Woodstock
Project Resilience provided support for these programs in the fall and is continuing funding through the winter to support local youth and families impacted by the pandemic through an additional round of funding to Center for Creative Education, The Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA so that they can continue to offer tuition assistance to families in need.
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 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.
Please call 845-338-3810 ext. 122 for more information about Ulster County Project Resilience financial aid for the Y Academy at Ellenville Elementary or contact Cailin Rooney at Crooney[at]ymcaulster[dot]org or Jhaunelle Anderson at Janderson[at]ymcaulster[dot]org.
Donations are accepted here through the United Way of Ulster County. For more information on Project Resilience, please visit: https://covid19.ulstercountyny.gov/project-resilience/
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Attached: County Executive Ryan visits the Plattekill Food Pantry.
