To the Editor:

Given the turmoil in the federal government these past months, I wondered what the impacts might be on food banks in general, and specifically, on our local Altamont Community Food Pantry and the 30 families it supports.

I contacted Director Judy Seery and I learned that there are three primary impacts being felt locally:

— As of February this year, with the changes at the federal level, the United States Department of Agriculture has cut in half the number of trucks delivering free overstock of produce to the Regional Food Bank. This reduction seriously affects those in our community who do not have the resources to purchase food for their families;

— The Regional Food Bank purchases inexpensive canned food items from abroad, including Mexico, China, and Canada, to distribute to community food pantries, but with the tariff situation involving these countries, orders are being held up in docks at entry ports. Further, because there is uncertainty about what the cost of these shipments will be, orders from these sources have been stopped; and

— Because of these actions, supplies are becoming more and more limited. And, along with steadily rising food costs, what is available for families is going very quickly.

Couple these impacts with proposed federal cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Medicaid, and the possible change in eligibility requirements for WIC (Women, Infants and Children) nutritional programs, our ability to help our friends and neighbors in need becomes more and more precarious.

But there are ways we can help.

We can make a monetary donation to the Altamont Community Food Pantry, Post Office Box 678, Altamont NY 12009 or we can deliver canned goods and toiletries to the pantry at 122 Grand Street (Saint Lucy’s Parish Building) the first and third Monday of each month from noon to 5 p.m. or call 518-861-6542.

But perhaps more importantly, please do whatever you can to resist the continuing negative impacts our federal government is having on the most vulnerable in our communities.

We must speak out.

Kristin Casey

Altamont