Dutchess Outreach Hosts First-Ever Food Pantry Gathering
February 6, 2024
Dutchess Outreach, the largest food security organization in Dutchess County, hosted the first Food Pantry Gathering in January. Food pantries representing all regions of the county were invited to the Carey Institute in Millbrook to come together and discuss common goals and priorities to end food insecurity.
Natasha Pernicka, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Hunger Free New York (AFHNY) initiative was the keynote speaker of the event, and explained the priorities of AFHFNY. The group also discussed current and proposed legislation, and what it means for the people they serve on a daily basis.
“We have to stop calling food ‘charity.’ It’s not ‘charity’, it is a basic human right” Dutchess Outreach’s Executive Director Renee S. (Fillette) Miccio said. “This country has enough food for people not just to eat, but to eat well.”
The Food Pantries that gathered together at this inaugural event service 9,000 people throughout the county every month, representing only a portion of emergency food providers. Dutchess Outreach is excited to continue their work with the other food pantries, and work together to address the food security issues of the community. There is a $15,912,000 meal gap in Dutchess County, and 25,540 neighbors in Dutchess County are facing food insecurity, as do 25% of adults in the entire State of New York.
The hope is that this group will lead to a larger coalition amongst all Dutchess County food pantries, and combine efforts to advocate for better legislation and food procurement practices. Together we can leverage the best food purchase prices, support local farmers, move food throughout the emergency food system effectively, and create real solutions to the entirely solvable problem of hunger in our community.
Dutchess Outreach’s own Pantry averages 1,300 visits a month with a record 1,800 in December 2023. As visits are on the rise, so is inflation, leading to the unfortunate reality of more people in need, and less to provide for them.
Dutchess Outreach’s mission is to provide healthy food and compassionate support while advocating for food security and social equity. We are proud to share that same goal with the pantries that attended the gathering and many more to come.
To learn more about Dutchess Outreach or to donate, please visit dutchessoutreach.org.
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Dutchess Outreach, Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Poughkeepsie, NY, and is the largest food security organization in Dutchess County, celebrating 50 years of service in 2024. Our mission is to provide healthy food and compassionate support, and to advocate for food security and social equity. Services include the Pantry, a community-based meal program called the Lunch Box, Mobile Pantry, monthly Farm Stand, Children’s Clothing Closet, and Acts of Kindness (AoK).
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