$10K for New Scotland Community Food Pantry
The Enterprise — Sean Mulkerrin
Assemblywoman Gabriella Romero presents New Scotland Community Food Pantry volunteers Ivan Gotham, to Romero’s left, and Dennis Ulion, to her right, with a check for $10,000.
VOORHEESVILLE — For the dozens of people who depend on the New Scotland Community Food Pantry for help, $10,000 will go a long way.
The volunteer-run not-for-profit food pantry on Monday was the recipient of $10,000 secured by Assemblywoman Gabriella Romero’s office. The non-denominational pantry has operated out of the Catholic Saint Matthew’s Church on Mountain Street in Voorheesville for decades.
The pantry primarily serves the town of New Scotland and residents of the Voorheesville Central School District — but no one seeking help is ever turned away, said Dennis Ulion and Ivan Gotham, two volunteers responsible for much of the pantry’s day-to-day operations.
Ulion and Gotham observed that New Scotland had seen a 30 to 35 percent increase since last month, when food pantries all over the country saw increases for services due to the federal government shutdown.
“We have about 70 active clients,” Gotham said, but “not all those 70 come every month. Some wait till they’re in trouble, and then call the hotline.”
Gotham estimated that New Scotland has about 40 regular monthly clients, but when entire households are taken into account, the food pantry every month serves over 100 individuals.
The pantry is able to work miracles with its annual budget of $40,000.
In addition to the monthly services its offers to dozens of town and school-district residents, the New Scotland Community Food Pantry provides:
— The Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School monthly with food donations;
— Fuel stipends to those who qualify;
— Back-to-school supplies for students;
— Pre-boxed Thanksgiving meals;
— A December holiday meal; and
— Gifts to children during the holidays.
I have a comment in response to your wonderful article about the Voorheesville Food Pantry and the generous grant procured by Assemblymember Romero.
The article stated that "Help isn’t always a given at some food pantries, like those in some high-need areas of Albany, which have residency requirements," That statement is incorrect. —if pantries are HPNAP recipients they are required to serve all first time visitors. As members of the coalition -Food Pantries for the Capital Region- it would be the same. The member pantries then refer families to their closest pantry or "home pantry" is the term we use. That makes it more convenient for the person seeking help and does spread the burden more appropriately among the pantries.
In these difficult times for people the Regional Food Bank and the Food Pantries for the Capital District are working very hard to see that all of the individual pantries are stocked with basic necessities and extras wherever possible. They are all dependent on the kindness of those of us who can help out by contributing time, money and supplies at whatever level we are able.
Again, the grant for the Voorheesville Pantry is wonderful news. Every food pantry is doing its best to serve its neighbors and every one of them depends on the generosity of the neighbors who can afford to help.