[POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK]: Dutchess Outreach will begin collecting coats for the 30th annual Susan DeKeukelaere Memorial Coat Drive! From October 1 to October 31, the community can donate washed, gently used, and/or new coats. 

Last year, Dutchess Outreach received and distributed over 12,000 coats and winter essentials to those who needed them.  This year, Dutchess Outreach is partnering with The Dyson Foundation, iHeartMedia, and many others to ensure our neighbors have something warm to wear this winter.

Coats can be dropped off at the following locations beginning October 1st:

Chase Bank (285 Main St., Poughkeepsie)
East Fishkill Town Hall
iHeart Media (20 Tucker Drive, Poughkeepsie)
Millbrook Library (3 Friendly Ln, Millbrook)
Pleasant Valley Library (1584 Main Street, Pleasant Valley)
Prime Storage: Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley, Poughkeepsie (Neptune Road), Wappingers Falls (Rt. 9 AND Rt.376), Fishkill (Rt. 9), Beacon, Highland ( 9W AND 50 N Roberts Rd)
Raymour and Flanigan Showroom or Outlet (Vassar Road, Poughkeepsie)
Red Cap Cleaners (all locations)
Rhinebeck Bank (all branches)
TEG Federal Credit Union (all branches)

TEG Federal Credit Union (all branches)

Coat donations are not accepted at our Dutchess Outreach office or building. 

“Let’s keep our neighbors warm again! Thank you in advance for your donation,” says Nyhisha T. Gibbs, our Director of Community Engagement.

Children’s coats and large adult-size coats are especially needed. Hats, gloves, and other winter essentials (like boots, vests, snow pants) are much appreciated. 

For more information, please contact Robin Tanenbaum, Dutchess Outreach Volunteer Coat Drive Manager, at (914) 848-1042 or Nyhisha at (845) 454-3792. You can email Robin and Nyhisha at [email protected].

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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, Mobile Pantry, monthly Farm Stand, Children’s Clothing Closet, and Acts of Kindness.

[POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK]: Dutchess Outreach is excited to be celebrating 50 years of service to the Dutchess Community! 

Dutchess Outreach began in 1974 and was officially incorporated in 1981. What started as a small but necessary pantry has grown into a self-choice Food Pantry that averages 1,500 monthly visits. Our Lunch Box serves hundreds of hot meals daily. We are now the largest food security organization in Dutchess County, helping over 10,000 people annually. 

The organization has recently begun several initiatives, stressing the importance of not just the quantity of food but the quality of that food. This includes offering less processed food and including a variety for religious and dietary restrictions. 

“Dutchess Outreach is not only looking to expand its reach of emergency food support,” says Executive Director Renee S. (Fillette) Miccio. “Rather, we believe that with a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach, we can dramatically decrease food insecurity in Dutchess County while strengthening our local food system so everyone can thrive.” 

In the last year alone, Dutchess Outreach has partnered with Nuvance Health to roll out the Food as Medicine initiative to provide the appropriate food to people with specific chronic diseases to help improve symptoms of heart disease and diabetes. 

With the help of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Dutchess Outreach has hired a Retail Recovery Coordinator to work with local supermarkets and rescue 20,000 pounds of food each month, dramatically reducing food waste in our community. 

Beyond the Poughkeepsie area, Dutchess Outreach has partnered with Sun River Health at their Amenia location with a mobile pantry offering thousands of pounds of fresh produce and rescued food.

Our advocacy efforts are also increasing, as Dutchess Outreach has partnered with Alliance for a Hunger-Free New York and is working to spearhead a local coalition of Food Pantries. This work, in part, kicked off with a Food Pantry convening on January 22. 

In 50 years, the need for Dutchess Outreach’s services has only grown. In New York State, food insecurity has increased by 85% since 2022, compared with an increase of 35% nationwide. In New York, 25% of adults have experienced food insecurity. There is a $15,912,000 meal gap in Dutchess County, and 25,540 neighbors in Dutchess County are facing food insecurity. Dutchess Outreach continues to work toward closing that gap with a team of twelve staff, thousands of volunteers, and the generosity of sponsors, donors, and foundations. 

Along with our Pantry and Lunch Box community meal program, our programs now include: 

Farm Stand: working with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, we offer thousands of pounds of fresh produce one Friday a month year-round. 

Acts of Kindness: Free housewares and essentials 

Children’s Clothing Closet: Free, gently used or new clothing for children 

Our annual coat drive collects thousands of coats for those who need them in the colder months. The emergency assistance program includes support with prescriptions, rent, and utilities. 

A 50th celebration event at the Grandview is set for September 19, 2024. Dutchess Outreach commemorates 50 years throughout 2024 with a social media campaign to share 50 facts about the organization, its history, and its vision for the future. A special meal through our Lunch Box Community Meal program and the Lunch Box’s dedication ceremony are also being planned. 

To learn more about Dutchess Outreach or to donate, please visit dutchessoutreach.org

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).

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:89eb9abf-fa35-465a-bb93-3dd8a74d9c62

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.

Fresh Market Trailer PR Nov 2023

Thanks to a partnership with Dutchess Outreach, Poughkeepsie City School District Community Schools Department provided about 200 bags of food to city residents Friday. To read more http://bit.ly/3wRWiye

Renee S. Fillette, Ph.D., executive director of Dutchess Outreach, said, “Forming a collaborative of food security providers is perhaps the single most important initiative since the beginning of emergency food relief services. For decades, agencies have operated in silos without the benefit of learning from one another. Together, we can, and will, advocate for strong policies to benefit all New Yorkers, inspire best practices within our communities, and support each other as we learn and grow together. As the executive director of a food-security organization in the Mid-Hudson Valley, this is what we have been waiting for.”

To Read more about the coalition:

Alliance Hunger Free New York PSOS January 2023 Press Release FINAL

A Poughkeepsie food pantry is running out of food and is seeking donations while the executive director continues to lobby local, county, and state officials for additional funding to help meet the increased demand for food.

Dutchess Outreach Executive Director Renee Fillette told Mid-Hudson News that their pantry is running out of both non-perishable and perishable food and has been forced to cut back on the number of clients being served.

Read the full article: https://midhudsonnews.com/2022/08/15/dutchess-outreach-food-pantry-in-critical-need-of-supplies-2/

October 30, 2020                   

Poughkeepsie, NY – The Board of Directors of Dutchess Outreach has elected Owen T. Clarke Director Emeritus.  Mr. Clarke, who is a financial consultant and a former bank trust officer, served multiple terms as a board member between 1987 and 2014, with two stints as Chairman of the Board of Directors and one as Treasurer.  During his tenure, he secured a number of valuable bequests for Dutchess Outreach and also established four endowment funds which today provide funds to support direct assistance to people, Lunch Box operations, and the annual coat drive.
“Since retiring from the Board, Owen has given us his professional financial management and investment skills as our volunteer investment advisor,” said Executive Director Brian Riddell. “Owen also continues to drive donors to invest in Dutchess Outreach and he and his wife Linda Bartles Clarke have always been and continue to be generous supporters.”
“Owen has been involved in helping Dutchess Outreach reach its mission for many years. We are delighted to recognize him for his considerable contributions to the advancement of the organization,” Chairman of the Board Ann St. Germain said.  Previously, he received the organization’s highest honor, the Mary Keeley Award, which is given to an individual or group not only for their extraordinary support but for reflecting the spirit of Dutchess Outreach founder Mary Keely, whose philosophy was caring first for people.
A tireless community advocate, Mr. Clarke has served on the boards of numerous not-for-profit organizations, including the Dutchess Community College Foundation, St. Francis Hospital (now Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital) and its Healthcare Foundation, Benedictine Hospital Foundation, the Community Foundation, and Vassar-Warner Home Foundation.  He and Mrs. Clarke are long-time Staatsburg residents.
Dutchess Outreach is a Poughkeepsie-based nonprofit that provides a variety of food and emergency assistance services to thousands of people in need in Dutchess County. Programs include lunch and dinner service at the Lunch Box, a food pantry, a mobile fresh market, a farm stand with free produce, a children’s clothes closet and a coat drive, as well as advocacy and referral, and emergency grants for prescriptions and to prevent utility shut-off and eviction.