The food deliveries are coordinated by the Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative, a grassroots effort made up <\/span>of over a dozen organizations, not including the City of Kingston and Ulster County\u2019s Project Resilience. The Collaborative focuses on delivering meals and groceries to households in the Kingston City School District. Requests are being taken through an emergency hotline that is shared through the group\u2019s <\/span>website<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n The Collaborative came together rapidly to find ways as a group to tackle food access and centralize those efforts. Each member organization plays a specific and unique role \u2013 whether it be in local food procurement, distribution, communications, or volunteer coordination. Food preparation for hot meals was handled by individual restaurants, soup kitchens, and other community food providers like Family of Woodstock\u2019s Everett Hodge Center. Grocery Bags were organized by local food pantries including People\u2019s Place, Community Action, and Catholic Charities. <\/span><\/p>\n Food donations and distribution to emergency feeding systems were, of course, active long before COVID-19.\u00a0 But the need escalated with the pandemic. People\u2019s Place, for instance, saw a 430 percent rise in the number of people served compared to the same time last year. \u201cWe were concerned about what was going to happen with food access and we knew we could have a food shortage,\u201d says Susan Hereth, education director at the Kingston YMCA Farm Project. Hereth is also a member of <\/span>Eat Well Kingston<\/span><\/a> a subcommittee of the City\u2019s Live Well Kingston Commission, the umbrella entity that promotes health and well-being.<\/span><\/p>\n In the Kingston City School District, before the pandemic, roughly 3,000 children were served breakfast and lunch at school every day. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Immediately following the initial shutdown, Hereth consulted with fellow members of Eat Well Kingston, noting in an email to the group that schools are closed and asking \u201cWhere and how students would access meals now?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Emily Flynn, Director of Health and Wellness for the City of Kingston, calls the email \u201ca spark that many people jumped at to support this work.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n At the same time, various organizations in the city were preparing for the crisis. Callie Jayne, Executive Director of Rise Up Kingston, a grassroots advocacy organization, notes the school district closed on a Monday, and by that Wednesday KEFC volunteers were delivering meals to families and individuals within the Kingston City School District. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe assumed we wouldn\u2019t return to school for the rest of the year and started a plan,\u201d says Jayne who has two children ages 12 and 6 in the school system. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Joining forces<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n The speed at which the Collaborative came together and its success is worth noting. The initiative is also a window into how non-profits, local government, and community members can convene and work together to address a crisis. <\/span><\/p>\n No doubt the relationships between organizations that existed prior to COVID-19 were a key to the group\u2019s success. Many members of the Collaborative also participate in Eat Well Kingston, and a number of them live and work in Kingston. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are deeply embedded and invested in making Kingston a vibrant, wonderful, healthy, and successful community,\u201d Hereth says. Moreover, everyone brought complementary skills that \u201cflowed together well.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe already had a trust there and it was easy to communicate with each other,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Flynn. \u201cThat is the amazing and miraculous thing right now — the organizations come with many different missions and we have worked really well together.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The actual work of distributing food has happened through grassroots efforts bolstered by technology to support remote communication. Members organized themselves into categories of production, packing and distribution, communication, and volunteer coordination. There are daily calls, virtual meetings, a weekly distribution team meeting, and a vibrant Slack channel.<\/span><\/p>\n At the Farm Hub, the Community Food team procured and distributed produce to the organizations on the front line of keeping people fed.<\/span><\/p>\n From the last week in April through mid-June, the Farm Hub distributed over 50,000 meals worth of produce to community organizations including People\u2019s Place, Family of Woodstock, Dutchess Outreach, CCE Orange County Gleaning Program, and others that disperse food out to people who need it throughout Ulster, Orange, and Dutchess counties in efforts within the KEFC as well as emergency feeding programs outside of the county. The Farm Hub\u2019s Community Food team also worked on procuring healthy produce and served as lead organizers to the KEFC grocery box delivery program.<\/span><\/p>\n A multitude of volunteers<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n Volunteers – about 600 of them \u2013 are critical to the effort. Rise Up\u2019s Jayne pulled together an initial group of volunteers to do the work of reaching out and organizing all the other individuals who signed up to volunteer. Troy Ellen Dixon of the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Center and Caitlin Salemi co-coordinate what\u2019s now the KEFC Volunteer Scheduling team, which has ranged from having 10 to 16 schedulers, all who work remotely to slot volunteers into shifts. Jayne calls the seamless coordination \u201camazing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n There are volunteers of all ages from teens to senior citizens. \u201cEverybody brings their skills, talent, and commitment to feeding people in Kingston in this crazy time,\u201d says Hereth. \u201cPeople are really looking to help in a time of crisis.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Michael Berg, executive director of Family of Woodstock Inc., says COVID-19 offered a window for organizations and people of all backgrounds to get involved. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNot once did I hear any issues about not having enough volunteers to do the work. The whole community seemed to have collectively decided to help, and the people behind the scenes were working around the clock to keep everything running smoothly,\u201d says Jeff Scott, the Farm Hub\u2019s marketing and logistics coordinator. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A new chapter<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n In the short time it has existed, the Collaborative has already seen a number of rapid changes. In mid-May, there was a move to expand groceries, deliveries, and scale back on prepared meals. <\/span><\/p>\n While the funding from Project Resilience to have local restaurants prepare meals has ended, it continues for grocery deliveries until the end of July 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n The benefit is that groceries last longer for families, and \u201care more affordable to procure and have less packaging, so it\u2019s more sustainable. In the long term it makes sense,\u201d says Katrina Light, community food manager at the Farm Hub. <\/span><\/p>\n The Everett Hodge Center through the Family of Woodstock, which had typically provided some 150 dinners daily to children, prior to the pandemic, will continue to do so. During the pandemic, they increased their production and provided 3,000 dinners a week. The Hodge Center continues to work with KEFC volunteers to distribute prepared meals to high need individuals and families living in motels and boarding houses in Ulster County. <\/span><\/p>\n While the next phase of the pandemic is unclear it\u2019s safe to assume that the impact from COVID-19 will be long-lasting. In the meantime, the pandemic has exposed a vulnerable food system with cracks and fissures. It also sparks questions on how to address food access in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNow that we\u2019ve had a little chance to catch up, the group is trying to figure out long term systematic changes. I think Ulster County can serve as an amazing model for the rest of the country,\u201d says Hereth citing widespread support for farmers and active distribution channels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She continued: \u201cI think all of us are wondering what other solutions there could be to fix this system that is so apparently broken. People need healthy food and they need decent wages.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The daily landscape evolves as the pandemic continues. By June the hotline slowed as more people returned to work, unemployment insurance and SNAP benefits increased, and as the weather warmed and more folks go out to access food.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThings are scaling back and we are starting to look to the future and how we can reduce food insecurity moving forward,\u201d Light says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The volunteer force remains robust with about fifty volunteers managing the hotline, schedules, and delivering food several times a week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt takes a whole village to do this. Most are volunteers, and they come back again and again,\u201d Flynn says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The experience has been a positive one for everyone involved in the Collaborative. They work well together and they know they are able to get food out to those in need during an emergency. It motivates them to continue addressing food insecurity at its roots, member organizations say. During these unprecedented times, the Collaborative is just one of many efforts and initiatives across the country that show the power of a strong community.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people have stepped up and this is really a tribute to our community,\u201d says\u00a0 Berg.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Indeed, crisis is often a catalyst for permanent change.<\/span><\/p>\n For more information\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative is a coalition of <\/span>15 community organizations, community members, the city of Kingston, and Ulster County’s Project Resilience.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n AJ Williams\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n City of Kingston<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n CCE <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Family of Woodstock<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Kingston Food Co-op<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Hudson Valley Seed\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Hudson Valley Farm Hub<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n People\u2019s Place <\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Radio Kingston<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Rise Up Kingston<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The Salvation Army \u2013 Kingston NY<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n UlsterCorps<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Ulster County Department of Mental Health<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Ulster County Community Action<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Kingston YMCA Farm Project <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n YMCA of Kingston Ulster County<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Project Resilience<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n For more information about the Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative go to\u00a0<\/span>www.kingstonemergencyfood.com<\/span><\/a> or call 845-443-8888.<\/span><\/p>\n To Learn More<\/span><\/p>\n Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a nonprofit research, policy and planning group, issued a report in May 2020 that explores food insecurity in the Hudson Valley and recent disruptions to the food supply due to COVID-19.\u00a0<\/span>Mire aqu\u00ed<\/a> to read the report.<\/span><\/p>\n The Hamilton Project released results from the \u201cCOVID Impact Survey and The Hamilton Project\/Future of the Middle Class Initiative Survey of Mothers with Young Children\u201d in late April 2020. <\/span>Mire aqu\u00ed<\/a> para saber m\u00e1s.<\/span><\/p>\n By the Numbers<\/span><\/p>\n *Note: The following information was provided by the City of Kingston and Ulster County during the week of May 4, 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n March 18<\/strong> \u2013 175 meals delivered\u00a0<\/span>March 23 \u2013 25 households receiving grocery deliveries<\/span>April 24 \u2013 2,900 meals delivered <\/span><\/p>\n April 27<\/strong> \u2013 90 households receiving grocery deliveries\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n May 4<\/strong> \u2013 The Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative has entered week 8 of prepared meal distribution out of the\u00a0<\/span>YMCA of Kingston & Ulster County<\/span><\/a>. Each day about 30 volunteers help pack and deliver meals throughout the City of Kingston & the school district\u2019s area, 800 community members received two meals each today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n May 16<\/strong> – main meal distribution hub shifts from the Kingston YMCA to the Everett Hodge Center where as much as 600+ meals will be served there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Grocery distribution ramps up with <\/span>People’s Place<\/span><\/a>, Community Action and Catholic Charities to provide groceries to over 500 families each week.<\/span><\/p>\n Other initiatives<\/span><\/p>\n The Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative is only one of a number of initiatives in Ulster County and beyond that address challenges from Covid-19. Below are other examples of other efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n Project Resilience<\/span> Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County<\/span><\/a> Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County<\/span><\/a> Rondout Valley Growers Association<\/span><\/a> American Farmland Trust<\/span> RUPCO<\/span> -Amy Wu<\/em><\/p>\n L<\/span>as calles y vecindarios pueden estar un poco m\u00e1s silenciosos en Kingston debido al COVID-19, pero bajo esta \u201cnueva normalidad\u201d, yacen esfuerzos monumentales para distribuir alimentos a los residentes. Desde marzo se han donado muchas comidas preparadas, bolsas de alimentos y productos agr\u00edcolas frescos que han llegado a m\u00e1s de 1,000 hogares. En su momento pico, se entregaban unas 2,900 comidas preparadas los cinco d\u00edas a la semana y 500 familias recib\u00edan entregas semanales de bolsas de comida.<\/span><\/p>\n Las entregas de comida son coordinadas por Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative, un esfuerzo de base comunitaria conformado por m\u00e1s de una docena de organizaciones, sin incluir la ciudad de Kingston y Project Resilience del condado de Ulster. Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative se enfoca en entregar comidas preparadas y bolsas de alimentos a hogares en el Distrito Escolar de la ciudad de Kingston. Los pedidos se toman a trav\u00e9s de una l\u00ednea de emergencias compartida a trav\u00e9s de la <\/span>p\u00e1gina web<\/span><\/a> del grupo.<\/span><\/p>\n Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative se form\u00f3 r\u00e1pidamente para encontrar maneras de resolver el problema de acceso a la comida y centralizar esos esfuerzos como grupo.\u00a0Cada organizaci\u00f3n miembro tiene un rol particular y espec\u00edfico \u2013 sea en la adquisici\u00f3n de alimentos locales, la distribuci\u00f3n, las comunicaciones o la coordinaci\u00f3n de los voluntarios. La preparaci\u00f3n de los alimentos para las comidas calientes fue gestionada por restaurantes, comedores comunitarios y otros proveedores de alimentos de la comunidad como el Everett Hodge Center de Family of Woodstock. Las bolsas de comida fueron gestionadas por bancos de alimentos a nivel local, incluyendo People\u2019s Place, Community Action y Catholic Charities.<\/span><\/p>\n Desde luego, las donaciones de alimentos y la distribuci\u00f3n a los sistemas de alimentaci\u00f3n de emergencia estaban activos mucho antes que llegara el COVID-19, pero la necesidad increment\u00f3 con la pandemia. People\u2019s Place, por ejemplo, vio un aumento del 430 porciento en la cantidad de personas atendidas en comparaci\u00f3n con la misma fecha el a\u00f1o pasado.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n<\/span><\/a>Project Resilience is a community fund and local food distribution effort that was launched by Ulster County on March 17 to help residents and support small businesses including restaurants impacted by Covid-19. As of May the initiative had delivered an estimated 150,000 prepared meals. <\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>CCE Ulster created and compiled an interactive map that highlights an up-to-date listing of local farms, farm markets, and food pantries in Ulster County. The map also includes Dutchess County, Columbia County, Sullivan County, and Orange County. <\/span>To access the map, click aqu\u00ed<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>CCE Orange County runs a <\/span>gleaning program<\/span><\/a> that brings hundreds of thousands of pounds of unused fresh produce to the GleanMobile (a refrigerated box truck) for delivery to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Some food has also been distributed to Rockland County and to Sullivan County. <\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>The\u00a0Rondout Valley Growers Association, also known as the\u00a0RVGA, is a farmer-led nonprofit organization, made up of small and mid-sized producers in the Rondout Valley. The RVGA launched a Farmer Innovation GoFundMe campaign where all donations go toward helping farmers innovate to survive Covid-19. <\/span>For more information on the fund or to donate, click aqu\u00ed<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/a>The American Farmland Trust (AFT), a national organization that works to protect and conserve farmland, launched the Farmer Relief Fund that gives cash grants to farmers who are in need of assistance. For more information on the fund or to donate, click aqu\u00ed<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/span><\/a>RUPCO is a Kingston-based nonprofit that focuses on improving and supporting communities through the lens of housing. The organization launched a comprehensive website that lists contacts and resources for emergency food access. For more information, click aqu\u00ed<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nKingston Emergency Food Collaborative comenz\u00f3 como un esfuerzo colectivo para proveer acceso a alimentos durante el COVID-19<\/h2>\n