A $4,000 Northern New York Community Foundation grant will support six St. Lawrence Community Development Program Neighborhood Center food pantries this winter.

Managed by the St. Lawrence County Community Development Program, the food pantries are based in Neighborhood Centers located in Canton, Colton/Pierrepont/Parishville, Gouverneur, Massena, Ogdensburg, and Potsdam. Since September 2022, the pantries have combined to help an average of 647 families every month, cumulatively serving more than 2,000 St. Lawrence County households.

Grant money will be used to purchase healthy foods to aid the most vulnerable individuals and families during a particularly challenging time of year.

Food pantries are often the only source of free, healthy, and nutritious food in a community. Consumers of the services of the Neighborhood Centers have other needs met as well. While they visit for food assistance, they also receive education and social interactions.

“As our work in St. Lawrence County continues to grow, we see this as an important way of helping address essential needs and supporting the organizations working to alleviate them,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “Strengthening the resources of food pantries has always been a core part of our annual grantmaking and a way to broadly impact the community.”

The St. Lawrence Community Development Program reports that the county has an overall higher percentage of food insecurity than national and state averages. Overall, in St. Lawrence County, 13.5 percent of the population, or 14,509 adults, are classified as food insecure. Child food insecurity in the county is 17.7 percent with 18,808 children considered food insecure.

Nationally, 11.8 of U.S. adults and 16.1 percent of children are classified as food insecure, while 9.6 percent of adults in New York state and 14.6 percent of the state’s children are food insecure.

Additionally, a series of grants totaling $7,943 were awarded throughout 2023 to support seven other St. Lawrence County food pantries and soup kitchens. Grant support has helped strengthen programs and stock shelves at the food pantries, thrift stores and soup kitchens across the county.

The Community Foundation provides support annually to organizations that operate in partnership with the Food Bank of Central New York, Syracuse.

According to the Food Bank of Central New York, one in eight people in Northern and Central New York are classified as “food insecure.” Each dollar local food pantries and soup kitchens spend with the Food Bank can provide enough food for three meals.

St. Lawrence County food pantries that received grant support in 2023 include:

• Community Lunch Program for Kids, Norwood
• Gouverneur Kiwanis Club
• Hammond Food Pantry
• Massena Meals On Wheels
• Norfolk-Raymondville Food Pantry
• Norwood Kiwanis Memorial Community Service Foundation
• Salvation Army of Massena Food Pantry

St. Lawrence County Food pantries in need of support are encouraged to apply for grant funding as needed throughout the year. Access our Community Support Fund grant program at bit.ly/grant-portal. 

Contact Kraig Everard, Community Foundation director of stewardship and programs, 315-782-7110, or kraig@nnycf.org to learn more.