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Provider says federal government cut funding
A program that provides free produce and other groceries to residents in Putnam and Westchester counties has stopped deliveries to three Philipstown locations, citing federal funding cuts.
Until last month, Meals on Main Street stopped weekly at the Chestnut Ridge Apartments in Cold Spring, the Philipstown Friendship Center in Cold Spring and the Brookside Senior Citizen Co-op in Philipstown to distribute free food. Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County launched the program in May 2024 as part of a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
CCE paid Meals on Main Street, based in Port Chester, $250,000 annually to deliver the food and expand services in Westchester and Putnam. The balance went to regional farmers for the meat and produce and to CCE for administration costs. On a day in April 2025, the mobile pantry served about 110 people at its three Philipstown stops, offering milk, onions, potatoes, beets, carrots, kale, radishes, apples, baked goods and frozen salmon.
Jon Haseltine, executive director of Meals on Main Street, said the federal funding for the program ended in August and was not renewed. "We tried to absorb the cuts and not pull the plug, and did for some time, but the cuts have been a challenge," he said. "In March, with discretionary funds exhausted, we made the business decision to pull back some of the mobile pantry truck routes," including in Philipstown, which is about 50 miles from Port Chester.
"We're not happy about it," he said. "We pulled back to ensure our viability and to make ends meet."
The program continues to serve Putnam County residents in Patterson, Carmel, Putnam Valley, Kent and Mahopac, as well as in Westchester County, the Bronx and Fairfield, Connecticut. Philipstown residents have visited other Putnam stops, according to Haseltine.
Kiko Lattu, coordinator of the Philipstown Food Pantry, said that for many local seniors, especially those with mobility or transportation barriers, the mobile pantry "filled a critical gap by providing food 'shopping' near their homes. Its suspension is a meaningful loss in a community where food resources for older adults are already limited." In March, Lattu noted, the Philipstown Food Pantry, which is open on Saturday mornings, provided groceries for 679 people, including 181 seniors.
A United Way report in May 2025 concluded that 38 percent of Cold Spring and Philipstown (10516) households and 35 percent of Garrison (10524) households struggle to afford even a "survival budget," including food. In Beacon, it calculated that 42 percent of households are living on the edge.
Haseltine said the office of Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican whose district includes Philipstown, has been responsive to finding federal funds for the mobile pantry. Haseltine estimates it would require $75,000 to $100,000 annually to restore the Philipstown stops.
"We've encouraged people to reach out to their local, state and federal representatives to voice their concerns and the need for the program," he said. "Every time a mobile pantry truck goes out, it carries up to 1,300 pounds of food, or the equivalent of about 1,000 meals. That's about 50,000 meals a year on just one route."
A program that provides free produce and other groceries to residents in Putnam and Westchester counties has stopped deliveries to three Philipstown locations, citing federal funding cuts.
Until last month, Meals on Main Street stopped weekly at the Chestnut Ridge Apartments in Cold Spring, the Philipstown Friendship Center in Cold Spring and the Brookside Senior Citizen Co-op in Philipstown to distribute free food. Cornell Cooperative Extension Putnam County launched the program in May 2024 as part of a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
CCE paid Meals on Main Street, based in Port Chester, $250,000 annually to deliver the food and expand services in Westchester and Putnam. The balance went to regional farmers for the meat and produce and to CCE for administration costs. On a day in April 2025, the mobile pantry served about 110 people at its three Philipstown stops, offering milk, onions, potatoes, beets, carrots, kale, radishes, apples, baked goods and frozen salmon.
Jon Haseltine, executive director of Meals on Main Street, said the federal funding for the program ended in August and was not renewed. "We tried to absorb the cuts and not pull the plug, and did for some time, but the cuts have been a challenge," he said. "In March, with discretionary funds exhausted, we made the business decision to pull back some of the mobile pantry truck routes," including in Philipstown, which is about 50 miles from Port Chester.
"We're not happy about it," he said. "We pulled back to ensure our viability and to make ends meet."
The program continues to serve Putnam County residents in Patterson, Carmel, Putnam Valley, Kent and Mahopac, as well as in Westchester County, the Bronx and Fairfield, Connecticut. Philipstown residents have visited other Putnam stops, according to Haseltine.
Kiko Lattu, coordinator of the Philipstown Food Pantry, said that for many local seniors, especially those with mobility or transportation barriers, the mobile pantry "filled a critical gap by providing food 'shopping' near their homes. Its suspension is a meaningful loss in a community where food resources for older adults are already limited." In March, Lattu noted, the Philipstown Food Pantry, which is open on Saturday mornings, provided groceries for 679 people, including 181 seniors.
A United Way report in May 2025 concluded that 38 percent of Cold Spring and Philipstown (10516) households and 35 percent of Garrison (10524) households struggle to afford even a "survival budget," including food. In Beacon, it calculated that 42 percent of households are living on the edge.
Haseltine said the office of Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican whose district includes Philipstown, has been responsive to finding federal funds for the mobile pantry. Haseltine estimates it would require $75,000 to $100,000 annually to restore the Philipstown stops.
"We've encouraged people to reach out to their local, state and federal representatives to voice their concerns and the need for the program," he said. "Every time a mobile pantry truck goes out, it carries up to 1,300 pounds of food, or the equivalent of about 1,000 meals. That's about 50,000 meals a year on just one route."