Ulster County’s Covid-19 response organization, Project Resilience, will be granting $80,000 to 16 pantries to help support the surging needs that pantries are seeing this winter and will be partnering with the YMCA to launch a new drop-in childcare program in Ellenville.
According to a survey, the average Ulster pantry has seen its number of clients double and has been facing shortages of volunteers. These grants, ranging from $3,000-$8,000 per pantry, are intended to help the pantries increase their services. The county estimates 120,000 additional meals will be provided through this funding.
Project Resilience is also partnering with the YMCA to help sponsor a new drop-in child care program for kids in grades K-6 in Ellenville beginning February 1. The Ellenville School District has been in need of a child care program and afterschool program for youth even prior to the pandemic. COVID-19 has intensified this need.
“We have had a great increase on the number of families that depend on us,” Charlotte Knapp, Rondout Valley Food Pantry said. “At one point during the summer, we coordinated with County Executive Pat Ryan’s Office for Project Resilience and served all but two townships in our county via delivery only. If we did not increase the frequency of our days we are open, or the number of times a guest may receive groceries in a week our community would have been affected even more so than they already are.”
“We are seeing people at the Pantry who have never had food insufficiency before and the number of people we are serving is almost double,” Reverend Childs from Pointe of Praise Family Life Center Pantry said. “We are so blessed to have our community stepping up through Project Resilience to support us this winter.”
Pantries Receiving Funds Include:
- People’s Place
- The Table at Woodstock
- Hunger is Not an Option
- Rondout Valley Food Pantry
- Pointe of Praise Family Life Center Pantry
- Town of Rochester Food Pantry
- Ascension Holy Trinity Mission Center Food Pantries
- New Day Food Pantry
- Family of New Paltz
- Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry
- St. Charles Helping Hands Food Pantry
- Plattekill Food Pantry
- Good Neighbor Food Pantry of Woodstock
- Family of Ellenville
- Hodge Center
- Family of Woodstock
Launched in March, Project Resilience started as a community fund and local food distribution efforts established to support residents impacted by COVID-19. It quickly received over $2 million dollars in funding and the county established partnerships with municipal governments, local businesses, and not-for-profits. Since launching, Project Resilience has provided nearly 300,000 meals while supporting over 100 small businesses, according to a press release. The project is made possible through partnerships with the United Way and Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley.
Call 845-338-3810 ext. 122 for more information about Ulster County Project Resilience financial aid for the Y Academy at Ellenville Elementary or contact Cailin Rooney at Crooney@ymcaulster.org or Jhaunelle Anderson at Janderson@ymcaulster.org.
Donations are accepted here through the United Way of Ulster County. For more information on Project Resilience, please visit: https://covid19.
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