Dutchess Outreach Celebrating Fresh Market Trailer’s New Home
November 9, 2023
A Ribbon Cutting ceremony will be held at Sun River Health in Amenia (3360 NY-343, Amenia, NY 12501) on November 15 at 2PM to celebrate, in partnership with Sun River Health, the opening of the first Dutchess Outreach Mobile Food Pantry. The Mobile Pantry will provide local, fresh produce and shelf stable food to anyone who needs it. Dutchess Outreach is excited for this partnership with Sun River Health.
The refrigerated trailer will serve as a mobile pantry for the Amenia community and the entire tri-corner region of Dutchess County. This also marks Dutchess Outreach’s official extension into the Northeast section of Dutchess Outreach. Thanks to a grant with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Dutchess Outreach has hired a Food Rescue Coordinator who will rescue excess or close-to-code food from local retailers once a week and deliver it to the mobile pantry.
“The opening of this program is a true testament to the power of partnership. Thanks to our friends at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, Sun River Health, and Assemblywoman Didi Barrett, we will be able to provide thousands of pounds of food to a rural area of Dutchess County that has long been considered ‘underserved’ in terms of food access. Food will be offered in a beautiful environment where guests can select what they want, with the same dignity and autonomy Dutchess Outreach is known for.” Renee S. Miccio, Executive Director of Dutchess Outreach, said.
On Wednesdays each week, Dutchess Outreach’s Coordinator will transport food to the mobile pantry, with an estimated in-kind value of $62,000 in rescued food for the year. Additional food will be sourced from Dutchess Outreach’s Urban Farm, local farm partners, and Sun River Health’s on-site garden. Sun River Health will staff the trailer, and the mobile pantry will be open on Wednesdays.
“The Food Bank is proud to partner with organizations like Dutchess Outreach who are working to increase food access in underserved areas,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. “We’ve seen firsthand how transformational the Retail Store Donation Program can be thanks to our retail partners’ commitment to donating wholesome fresh produce, meat and dairy, and as we see the impact in communities throughout our region. We are thrilled to support Dutchess Outreach with grant funding for a Food Rescue Coordinator so they can obtain more nutritious food from Dutchess County retailers and serve our neighbors in Amenia.”
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. 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, an Urban Farm, Fresh Market, monthly Farm Stand, Children’s Clothing Closet, and Acts of Kindness (AoK). Dutchess Outreach is proud to celebrate its 50th year of service in 2024.