The Catskill Chronicle

Peggy Friedman with a bag of ‘extra’ food.

Story and photos by Ted Waddell

SOUTH FALLSBURG – Nobody said you have to be homeless to need three squares a day, a little more rice and beans on your plate.

Especially a small group of church ladies, who along with a couple of male volunteers at the St. Andrews Church Food Pantry, distribute bags of food twice a month to their neighbors in need of a little extra food.

“It’s pretty much a three day supplement,” said Cynthia Johnston, now in her second year as director of the local food pantry.

“People are down of their luck, some are employed but they need that little extra help.”

Last year, the St. Andrews Food Pantry handed out bags of food to 1,086 households, but the number of mouths fed is actually a lot more, as the bags are filled with enough supplemental food based upon the size of the household; a bag labeled “1-2” contains food for a household of one to two people, while one tagged “6-7” is designed for six to seven folks living under one roof, and so on right up the food chain.

“Some have very big extended families, and some are seniors who need a little extra,” added Johnston, adding, “I don’t know any who are actually homeless.”

The federal government says that anyone who “lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence…” does in fact fit into the bureaucratic pigeonhole called ‘Homeless in the Land of Plenty’.

While designed to serve folks in need in the Town of Fallsburg (South Fallsburg, Hurleyville, Woodridge, Woodbourne, Mountaindale and Loch Sheldrake), the pantry doesn’t shut the door on anyone living in outlying areas.

All they ask people to do is fill out a form listing their names, where they live and how many people are in their household, all for record keeping purposes.

Johnston said that in the last five or so years, the number of food bags handed out has increased 20% to 25%, and averages about 35-40 bags per night, although last November, a record number of 86 bags was distributed.

The food pantry received a $10,500 grant from the NYS Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP), up from $7,500 last year, and according to a HPNAP representative who recently visited the pantry, NY is the only state in the country that provides such grants without federal monies.

Tonja’s Dairy donates extra cheese, yogurt and buttermilk; Falls Poultry donated 70 chickens for Thanksgiving ’09; and the Fallsburg Lions Club kicked in $500 to keep the food pantry in operation.

Dawn Gorton signed on as a volunteer because her sister Faye Yarnes is a member of the church.

“I started helping her bag the food, and now I come in Fridays to help out,” she said. “It helps out tremendously…my daughter is on SSI, and with one child her food stamps are limited.”

“A lot of them have big families and their means are not enough to support them to have enough food on hand, they are very gracious and thankful for the help, ” added Gorton.

Peggy Friedman is a self-described ‘schlepper’ at the food pantry going on five years, and said of the folks lining up for bags of food, “Many of the clients are really, really hurting and are really, really in need of the food.”

“We’re all in this together, it’s a community celebration. There are more people coming to the pantry, either because of the economy or more people are learning about the food pantry.”

“It’s not easy being poor,” said Friedman. “Some don’t have cars or gas, and some show up with shopping carts or walk [to the pantry].”

Louise Clairmont has worked at the church run food pantry since it started ten years ago.

“These people really need food, a lot of them are employed but they still need extra…the families need it desperately and they have larger families, perhaps families are joining in and living together, I think that has a lot to do with it.”

Bingo… Clairmont just gave a perfect example of the government definition of homelessness, and if you’re forced to move in with friends or family, you’re considered ‘homeless’ or at the risk of homelessness, and are entitled by law to receive assistance.

The volunteer staff at St. Andrews Church Food Pantry: Mother Joan LaLiberte’, Peggy Friedman, Louise Clairmont, Faye Yarnes, Dawn Gorton, Sue Mootz, Fred Van Wagner, Debbie Briggs, Cynthia Johnston, Danny Madden, Sue Harris, Irene Welch and Linda Hatch.

Lester who lives in South Fallsburg, said of the food pantry, “I’ve been livin’ here for a few years now on and off because it’s certainly nice up here [and] it’s pretty good for a person who for the past few years has not been so good with ulcers. It’s quieter up here than in the city.”

Virginia comes to the food pantry from her home in Woodbourne, and said that after paying for food to feed her goats and rabbits, there’s not enough cash left over to put bread on her table.

“They help me get enough food to eat,” she said of the local food pantry, “I’ve got to have something to eat.”

A hand-lettered sign outside the church says it all.

“Please Help Us Help Others. St. Andrews Church Food Pantry, South Fallsburg”, and below that in fancy script “Feed the Body, Nourish the Soul”.

The pantry is open the second and fourth Friday of every month from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For information about the St. Andrews Church Food Pantry, call the church at 845-436-7539 or Johnston on her cell phone at 845-807-3418.

*For those who would like to help Sullivan County’s various food pantries continue to provide for those in need – Community Unity with Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless and Stacy and Friends recently announced that the 2nd Annual FoodRaiser to Benefit Sullivan Food Pantries will take place on Saturday, January 30 from 5 p.m. to “whenever” at  Mr. Willy’s Restaurant in Monticello.

Last year’s event, which raised more than $14K, featured dozens of area musicians, young and old alike, with proceeds benefitting local food pantries throughout Sullivan County.

To view more photos from Homeless in the Land of Plenty – Part X visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.