Posts Tagged ‘food’
Friday, June 12th, 2020
Every day brings stark news of how the coronavirus pandemic has worsened hunger in New York State. Because we know hunger will remain a challenge throughout the economic downturn, we need to re-double our efforts to enroll people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). New York’s Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) provides free, confidential services to help people learn about and apply for SNAP benefits.
Thanks to NOEP, Hudson Valley Community Services has been able to provide SNAP application assistance to 400 individuals and 625 households each year so they can afford the food they need. NOEP is a critical front-line response for low income families, seniors, disabled and veterans who are food insecure and need help applying for benefits.
Since the start of the pandemic, requests for NOEP assistance have increased dramatically. With state budget cuts looming, funding for NOEP services is at risk and our community may lose these critical services. The state has rightfully invested millions of dollars into food banks to meet the immediate needs of New Yorkers who need food now. However, SNAP benefits will provide long-term relief to struggling families. NOEP services help people apply for SNAP and the state’s investment in NOEP is needed now more than ever. NOEP services across the State, including in the Mid-Hudson Valley, are at risk and are currently scheduled to end in June. We are asking that concerned citizens reach out to Gov. Cuomo now to help save these imperiled services.
Tags: Awareness, food, food stamps, Kingston, Monticello, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, SNAP
Posted in News | Comments Off on Open Letter to HVCS Supporters: NOEP Program in Jeopardy
Friday, June 28th, 2019
Special thanks go out to two financial companies with local ties–PCBS Bank and UBS–for both holding food drives this June to benefit our Westchester/Putnam food and toiletry closet. By sheer coincidence, both banks arranged a drop-off of collected goods on Friday, June 28, 2019.
UBS, located in White Plains, has organized an internal food drive for the past four years. Employees collect and contribute donations of non-perishable food, household cleaning products, and toiletries.
PCBS Bank, which is a local institution with several branches throughout the region, held a collection drive during the month of June. We are grateful to have their support for the first time.
All donations will help HVCS’ clients obtain more and better nutritional options, plus personal care items to improve hygiene and encourage a healthy home environment. Clients receive pre-packed bags of food on a monthly basis to supplement other nutritional resources, and staff deliver food bags to clients who cannot make it to our Hawthorne or Mount Vernon offices.
Tags: donations, food, Westchester
Posted in News | Comments Off on Donors In The Spotlight: PCSB, UBS Both Hold Food Drives For HVCS
Monday, June 24th, 2019
On May 18, 2019, members of Prisoners for AIDS Counseling and Education (PACE) at Otisville Correctional Facility held their annual AIDS Walk. Here’s a look at the results of their fundraising efforts, which take the form of donated foods given to our Newburgh food closet.
This is a tradition that has been going on for many years and is a highlight of the year for the PACE Program. PACE members advocate for and counsel fellow inmates on HIV/AIDS issues, passing along life-saving educational information.
As inmates, the PACE members do not have access to traditional fundraising tools, so they collect donations of food from fellow inmates, purchased from the Otisville commissary. Inmates do not have the ability to earn or keep much money so these donations are extra-special. (We try to stock healthy, low-sodium items in our food closet, so ramen is usually not on our shopping list. In this case, however, we gladly accepted them, knowing how much work they represented. Plus, our clients who are not on low-sodium diets get to indulge in a treat.)
Special thanks to everyone involved in PACE Otisville, and for our Criminal Justice Initiative program staff for helping to make this donation happen!
Carmen, our Newburgh Program Assistant, and Barbara, CJI Linkage Specialist, pack away proceeds from PACE Otisville’s annual AIDS Walk.
Tags: CJI, donations, food, PACE, prisons
Posted in News | Comments Off on Annual AIDS Walk Donations from Otisville’s PACE Group
Tuesday, May 7th, 2019
HVCS’ THRIVES North nutrition education programis now known as “Emily’s Pantry” in memory ofEmily Henrya dedicated employee whom we lost in November.
Please join us as we remember her contributionsto HVCS and dedicate the new program namewith a plaque unveiling ceremony.
Light refreshments will be served.
Tags: event, food, Newburgh, pantry, special
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Monday, February 25th, 2019
Since continued funding was uncertain during the recent government shutdown, the SNAP program (Supplemental Nutrition Access Program, formerly known as food stamps) handed out February benefits in January. The caveat for recipients, however, was that they were expected to spread those benefits over six weeks instead of four–but for a hungry family, that can be a challenge. Now that the shutdown is over, clients may have gone through their SNAP funds already–and face a food shortage for the end of the month.
We weren’t about to sit back and let this happen, of course. HVCS is assisting clients in this situation through the food closet program. With support from generous donors, corporations and foundations, we’re offering our clients double the amount of food bags this month.
According to Hunger Solutions New York, which funds our Nutrition Outreach and Education Program, in March SNAP benefits will be issued early in order to assist SNAP participants to bridge the gap between the January payments and their regularly scheduled March benefits. All March SNAP benefits will be issued by March 7th.
We are committed to ensuring that clients and their families have enough nutritious food to eat no matter what happens in Washington.
Tags: Awareness, food, food closets, food pantry, News, NOEP, nutrition, SNAP
Posted in News | Comments Off on The SNAP Gap
Thursday, February 7th, 2019
Drag Brunch 2019 is now sold out! Thanks to all our generous donors who purchased tickets. We’ll see you on April 7th!
Missed out on being there in person? Support the cause and enter to win your own drag brunch at home in our Drag Brunch Raffle!
Prizes include a giant gift basket to create a “Drag Brunch” at your own home, Banana Republic gift cards, and more! Tickets are $20 each, and you don’t have to be present at the Drag Brunch to win. Visit our Drag Brunch Raffle page to get your tickets securely online.
Do you love brunch? Mimosas? Drag performers? and the Match Game?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, join Hudson Valley Community Services for Drag Brunch 2019! This event (which has sold out in past years) returns to Gunk Haus in Clintondale on Sunday, April 7, 2019. Our annual fundraiser benefits HVCS’ programs and services for people living with chronic illnesses. Hostess Trixie Starr will keep you laughing with games and hilarious banter as Liz, Dirk and the Gunk Haus staff serve up delicious breakfast and lunch fare. Local superstar Drag Queens JoJo Gerard, Valkyrie Hail and friends (exact lineup to be announced) will perform showstoppers while Superior Sounds keeps you grooving.
Tickets are $35 each and include choice of brunch entree, coffee, tea, juices and a generous donation to HVCS’ programs and services.
Drag Brunch 2019 is sold out!
Enter our special Drag Brunch Raffle too!
Tags: donations, event, food, gay, LGBTQ, special, Ulster
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Monday, January 14th, 2019
There is some important news for clients of our Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP).
New York State has taken the necessary steps to ensure that February recurring SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) will be issued to all SNAP recipients in New York State by January 20th. If you are one of our NOEP clients, please note that this January 20th SNAP benefit is not an extra payment, but rather an early issuance of February’s benefit. Your NOEP Coordinator will work with you on how to budget accordingly since it will be coming earlier. It is also important to note that all households that require recertifications for February should complete all the necessary steps as soon as possible and before January 18th. Local SNAP offices are working hard to have these recertifications processed before January 31st. At this time, there is no information about how March benefits will be impacted. If you have any further questions please reach out to the NOEP Coordinators in your county:
For Dutchess County please contact Elena Dalia at (845) 360-9722
For Ulster County please contact Catherine Cortale at (845) 579-2558
For Orange County please contact Debbie LaBoy at (845) 522-5761
For Sullivan County please contact Pat Ocasio at (845) 842-1232
Tags: Awareness, benefits, Dutchess County, food, Newburgh, NOEP, nutrition, pantry, Poughkeepsie, SNAP, Ulster
Posted in News | Comments Off on Alert: NYS SNAP Benefits & Government Shutdown
Wednesday, November 7th, 2018
Chill Wine Bar in Beacon is hosting once again their annual “Fill Chill” food drive and dance party, with the 2018 event slated for Friday, November 16th starting at 8:00 pm. Drop off a few cans or packages of non-perishable food to help stock HVCS’ food closets for the holidays–heck, why not bring a whole bag of food? The closets also accept donations of toiletries and household cleaning products. Everyone who donates an item (or more) will be entered into a door prize drawing. You’ll also have the chance to enter the 50/50 raffle.
To keep things in the holiday spirit, Prephab, the region’s premiere DJ duo, will be spinning fun music ranging from disco to pop to dance. Chill will have their selection of wines and bottled beers available, plus their bar snack menu featuring paninis and cheese platters. Chill will donate a portion of sales to HVCS so make sure to eat and drink up!
Chill is located at 173 Main Street in Beacon. Please join us for a relaxing and heartwarming start to your Thanksgiving week festivities!
Tags: Beacon, donations, Dutchess County, event, food, pantry, Poughkeepsie, special
Posted in Events, News | Comments Off on Fill Chill Food Drive Party Returns On Nov 16
Monday, November 5th, 2018
Audi Hawthorne, which opened its doors just over a year ago, has become a donation drop zone to support HVCS! General Manager Nick Belli and his staff are collecting donated goods for the months of November and December, including non-perishable foods and warm winter gear. Everyone from the community is invited to stop by the service department to drop off items for our food closets. Audi Hawthorne is also taking in donated hats, gloves, scarves and socks, which will be distributed to clients of the Project Reach Out program who are unstably housed or homeless.
Most-requested items from our food closet clients include:
- soups
- pasta and other packaged grains
- canned fruits and vegetables
- tuna
- peanut butter
- cereals and oatmeal
- instant mashed potatoes
- holiday meal ingredients such as stuffing and cranberry sauce
- fruit juices (boxed or canned)
- boxed milk (Parmalait)
Visit our Food Closet page to learn more.
Audi Hawthorne is located at 151 Saw Mill River Road (Route 9A) in Hawthorne, within a mile of HVCS’ headquarters. Special thanks to our neighbors at Audi for stepping up to support our programs!
Tags: donations, food, Westchester
Posted in News | Comments Off on Audi Hawthorne Is Collecting Donations For HVCS
Friday, November 2nd, 2018
Rob, warehouse manager for Treo Brands, with J. Dewey, HVCS’ Director of Public Relations & Resource Enhancement
Treo, a relatively new beverage company, contacted HVCS with an amazing offer: they had over 180 cases of their product, in three different flavors, that needed a home. They had recently rebranded, streamlining their packaging, and needed to make room in the warehouse for the newly designed bottles. The beverages dressed in the old look, however, were still drinkable (and delicious). HVCS offered to distribute the cases of Treo on our mobile outreach vans, including Project Reach Out and our syringe exchange vans. A few weeks ago, we took the PRO van to the company’s warehouse in Port Chester and filled it with Treo!
Treo is an organic birch water (that’s right–sort of like maple syrup or coconut water) infused with fruit flavors. It’s also sweetened with stevia so it’s low-cal. The PRO and SEP teams have already begun handing out the product to clients. Most of these clients are unstably housed or have no home, and they appreciate any free food or beverages. Offering them a snack or bottle of Treo helps build trust and establish a rapport–and hopefully they’ll keep in touch with us for their healthcare and service needs. We are grateful to Treo Brands for thinking of HVCS’ programs and making this generous donation a reality!
Tags: donations, food, Hawthorne, prevention, special, substance use
Posted in News | Comments Off on Treo Donates 180+ Cases To HVCS
