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Longer lines, many new faces
Fareground raised money in 2024 to buy a refrigerated box truck capable of holding 6,000 pounds of food for distribution to residents in Beacon, Fishkill, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls.
A capacity that once seemed sufficient has been surmounted by a problem that continues to grow, and the Fishkill-based nonprofit has outgrown the truck, according to Jamie Levato, its executive director. "We are constantly having to bring in more and more food; storage is becoming a challenge and transport is becoming a challenge."
Fareground is not alone in noting longer lines and new faces at every distribution.
Dozens of representatives from food pantries across the Hudson Valley told the same story when they gathered Tuesday (July 28) at AME Zion Church in Newburgh to receive an update from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which distributes food to organizations in Dutchess, Putnam and 21 other counties.
The food bank illustrated the extent of hunger in the Hudson Valley by sharing new statistics from Map the Meal Gap, a report compiled by Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization. The most recent data, from 2024, documents the number of adults and children considered "food-insecure" because they lack access to enough to eat.
In Dutchess, Putnam and the four other counties (Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster), 167,990 people were considered food-insecure in 2024, including 53,390 children (a 10 percent increase over the previous year). In Dutchess, an estimated 32,140 people (11 percent of the population) were food-insecure, and in Putnam, 8,430 (8.6 percent). Despite a small decrease from 2023, Dutchess has 10,730 more food-insecure residents than 2021 and Putnam, 3,200 more.
Food pantries expect their lines to grow as the costs for food, energy, housing and necessities continue to rise. Those challenges are aggravated by federal cuts that began last year in programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.
In 2025, the Regional Food Bank distributed 53.3 million pounds of food to pantries, more than any year in its nearly five decades of service, except for 2020, during the pandemic. That was despite losing 7 million pounds in cuts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank.
Nardacci said that people who have never visited a food pantry or "stood outside in the cold to hand out food" are "making decisions that aren't connected to reality."
Here are a few local resources if you need food assistance.
Beacon's Backyard Kitchen
The group serves a hot breakfast at 12 Hanna Lane on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and to-go lunch until 10:30 a.m.
Beacon Farmers' Market
The market doubles the value of federal food benefits from June to November. See beaconfarmersmarket.org/food-benefits. Common Ground Farm does the same at the market through its Greens4Greens program.
Fareground
The nonprofit serves a community meal on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 50 Liberty St., in Beacon.
Fishkill Food Pantry
Operated by First Reformed Church of Fishkill and St. Mary Mother of the Church, Fishkill, at 1153 Main St., the pantry serves residents of the Highlands, including Beacon and Cold Spring. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Call 845-896-4546 in the morning to make an appointment for that day. Proof of residency is required.
Mutual Aid Beacon
The group provides groceries on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 8:15 a.m. at Memorial Park. The first Wednesday is for seniors or households with a senior (age 60 and older), and the third (and fifth) Wednesday is open to everyone. Enter near Ron's Ice Cream. You can also walk up at 8 a.m. at the Beacon Recreation Center, 23 W. Center St.
Philipstown Food Pantry
The pantry at the First Presbyterian Church, 10 Aca...
Fareground raised money in 2024 to buy a refrigerated box truck capable of holding 6,000 pounds of food for distribution to residents in Beacon, Fishkill, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls.
A capacity that once seemed sufficient has been surmounted by a problem that continues to grow, and the Fishkill-based nonprofit has outgrown the truck, according to Jamie Levato, its executive director. "We are constantly having to bring in more and more food; storage is becoming a challenge and transport is becoming a challenge."
Fareground is not alone in noting longer lines and new faces at every distribution.
Dozens of representatives from food pantries across the Hudson Valley told the same story when they gathered Tuesday (July 28) at AME Zion Church in Newburgh to receive an update from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which distributes food to organizations in Dutchess, Putnam and 21 other counties.
The food bank illustrated the extent of hunger in the Hudson Valley by sharing new statistics from Map the Meal Gap, a report compiled by Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization. The most recent data, from 2024, documents the number of adults and children considered "food-insecure" because they lack access to enough to eat.
In Dutchess, Putnam and the four other counties (Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster), 167,990 people were considered food-insecure in 2024, including 53,390 children (a 10 percent increase over the previous year). In Dutchess, an estimated 32,140 people (11 percent of the population) were food-insecure, and in Putnam, 8,430 (8.6 percent). Despite a small decrease from 2023, Dutchess has 10,730 more food-insecure residents than 2021 and Putnam, 3,200 more.
Food pantries expect their lines to grow as the costs for food, energy, housing and necessities continue to rise. Those challenges are aggravated by federal cuts that began last year in programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.
In 2025, the Regional Food Bank distributed 53.3 million pounds of food to pantries, more than any year in its nearly five decades of service, except for 2020, during the pandemic. That was despite losing 7 million pounds in cuts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank.
Nardacci said that people who have never visited a food pantry or "stood outside in the cold to hand out food" are "making decisions that aren't connected to reality."
Here are a few local resources if you need food assistance.
Beacon's Backyard Kitchen
The group serves a hot breakfast at 12 Hanna Lane on Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. and to-go lunch until 10:30 a.m.
Beacon Farmers' Market
The market doubles the value of federal food benefits from June to November. See beaconfarmersmarket.org/food-benefits. Common Ground Farm does the same at the market through its Greens4Greens program.
Fareground
The nonprofit serves a community meal on Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 50 Liberty St., in Beacon.
Fishkill Food Pantry
Operated by First Reformed Church of Fishkill and St. Mary Mother of the Church, Fishkill, at 1153 Main St., the pantry serves residents of the Highlands, including Beacon and Cold Spring. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Call 845-896-4546 in the morning to make an appointment for that day. Proof of residency is required.
Mutual Aid Beacon
The group provides groceries on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 8:15 a.m. at Memorial Park. The first Wednesday is for seniors or households with a senior (age 60 and older), and the third (and fifth) Wednesday is open to everyone. Enter near Ron's Ice Cream. You can also walk up at 8 a.m. at the Beacon Recreation Center, 23 W. Center St.
Philipstown Food Pantry
The pantry at the First Presbyterian Church, 10 Aca...