Hinchey delivers $35,000 to Catskill Food Pantry

CATSKILL―As rising food costs and growing demand put increasing pressure on local food assistance programs, the Catskill Food Pantry is getting a much-needed financial boost.

State Senator Michelle Hinchey visited the pantry on Friday to present a $35,000 check, providing critical funding to help the organization continue feeding local residents struggling to put food on the table.

Hinchey toured the facility, met with pantry representatives and got a firsthand look at how the organization serves the community.

According to pantry officials, the $35,000 allocation marks the first government funding the Catskill Food Pantry has received since its inception.

The money comes at a particularly challenging time, as more households turn to the pantry for help, including some who had not needed its services in years.

Neva Wartell, the pantry's executive director, noted that they have seen an increase in the number of households seeking help in recent months, including some who have not relied on the pantry in three or four years.

Located in the parish hall of St. Luke's Episcopal Church at 50 William Street, the Catskill Food Pantry operates every Friday from 1-4 p.m., offering a client-choice model that allows visitors to shop much like they would at a supermarket.

Rather than receiving prepackaged boxes of food, individuals and families can select items based on their needs and preferences, including meat, seafood, canned goods, bread and fresh fruits and vegetables.

The pantry receives most of its food through the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, supplemented by donations from local food rescue and gleaning organizations, along with seasonal contributions from area farms.

What began as a small, informal operation at the Catskill Community Center, serving approximately 10 to 12 households on a regular basis, has grown considerably over the years.

Demand surged during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. By September of that year, it had relocated to its current home at the church following the closure of the community center.

Since then, the need for food assistance has remained substantial. Today, the pantry serves approximately 120 households and also provides food deliveries to residents within a 10-mile radius.

Over the past four years, the organization has distributed nearly 800,000 pounds of food to community members, according to Wartell.

But the rising cost of groceries has made it increasingly expensive to maintain those services.

Wartell said the pantry spent more on food during the first nine months of 2026 than it did during all of 2025, despite purchasing 11 percent less food.

"The Catskill Food Pantry is very grateful to Senator Michelle Hinchey for her generous support in this time of immense need," Wartell said. "Food insecurity is more challenging than ever in Catskill, with more community members coming to the pantry for their weekly provisions."

She said the funding comes as the organization prepares for additional financial challenges, including anticipated reductions in government assistance programs that could place even greater demand on local food pantries.

"Without this grant from Senator Hinchey, the pantry would be facing an uncertain future, as we anticipate the effects of deeper cuts to the social safety net about to hit us in 2027," Wartell said.

For the Catskill Food Pantry, the $35,000 will go directly toward its central mission: making sure local residents have access to the food they need.

For more information about the Catskill Food Pantry, to donate, or to volunteer, visit www.catskillfoodpantry.org.