Across the region, more people are experiencing food insecurity issues in 2024, according to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.
There are resources readily available to help people with both short term and long term food needs.
The food bank serves as a collection and distribution center for dozens of food pantries and other outlets in Broome, Tioga, Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler and Tompkins counties.
In addition, the food bank operates mobile food pantries, along with programs aimed toward at-risk children — including a BackPack Program, Kids’ Farmers Market, and Summer Food Service Program.
Here are some of the ways residents with food insecurity concerns can get help.
Southern Tier food pantries
There are several pantries in each county in the food bank’s service area, many of them operated by churches and other local organizations.
The food bank regularly provides those pantries with fresh produce, dairy products and other food items, and the sponsoring organization provides volunteers to staff each site and serve the public.
Many of the sites are open specific hours on certain days of the week. More information about locations and operating times of food pantries across the Southern Tier is available on the food bank website at https://www.foodbankst.org/find-food/
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Mobile food pantries
The Mobile Food Pantry is a truck used to deliver fresh produce other food and grocery products directly to distribution sites where people need food.
Each truck can transport up to 15,000 pounds of food, and provides 200 to 250 families with nutritious food to help them make ends meet.
The food bank partners with local sponsor organizations that provide volunteers to bring the mobile food pantries to predesignated sites.
Programs for at-risk children
The food bank’s BackPack Program provides enrolled children with packs of nutritious, kid-friendly food on Fridays and before holiday breaks at school.
Each pack includes shelf-stable, easy-to-prepare food items stored in non-breakable containers. Every pack contains two proteins, two grains, two dairy items and two fruits or vegetables.
The Kids’ Farmers Market is a no-cost distribution that provides fresh fruits and vegetables to children who are at risk of hunger or food insecurity and may not have access to produce on a regular basis.
The program runs throughout the school year in conjunction with after-school programs, as well as during the summer in partnership with existing summer meal sites.
The Summer Food Service Program is designed to fill the nutrition gap during the summer when school is not in session and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.
The Food Bank of the Southern Tier sponsors several Summer Food Service Program sites throughout the region.
School Food Centers are spaces where food and other grocery items can be distributed at no cost within a school, offering a variety of items for students and families to pick and choose what suits their needs.
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Other food bank programs
The Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables program helps empower low-income families to choose nutritious foods and create healthy meals for their families through nutrition workshops and cooking classes.
The Healthy Harvest Program allows the food bank to purchase produce from local farmers, to distribute produce while it is fresh and has the highest nutritional value, and to raise awareness in the local farm community about the need for food assistance.
With the help of a grant from The Walmart Foundation, the food bank this year expanded the program to include producers from other areas and extend the availability of fresh produce beyond the local harvest season.
For more information about any of these programs, contact the Food Bank of the Southern Tier at 607-796-6061, or go online to foodbankst.org/about-us/our-programs.
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