Blog

The call came in on an October morning. Dollar General in Chemung had a large donation ready for pickup. When the In His Presence Pantry team arrived, they were stunned. 800 pounds of fresh milk filled the coolers. Gallons that would have gone to waste were now headed straight to family refrigerators across the community. [...]

Advocacy is a lot like a muscle: It gets stronger the more you use it.  That’s how Sayre Paradiso recently described her approach to food justice and social equity. As a Tompkins County resident and Community Advocate, Sayre is actively involved in several food access initiatives – from running a local pantry to participating in [...]

Tioughnioga Riverside Academy (TRA) is a middle school located in Whitney Point, on the banks of the scenic Tioughnioga River – a 34.2-mile-long tributary that flows through several counties. Another major tributary, the Otselic River, also enters the Tioughnioga River nearby.  Like many rural communities in the Southern Tier, TRA students are just as accustomed [...]

Tracey Hayes isn’t much of a hugger. But she can count on plenty of them every Friday.  “I bet I have 10 people hug me every time,” she said.  At Thomas A. Edison High School, Friday isn’t just about getting to the weekend. It’s the day that students and their families visit the School Food [...]

Before many households settle into their day, Michelle is already moving through hers, navigating a web of responsibilities that never truly pause. Caregiving shapes nearly every hour. Michelle cares for three family members. Her adult son has severe autism and rarely leaves the house, perhaps once every few months. Her partner lives with a physical [...]

Doc hesitates for a moment before opening the door to the Wellness Warehouse in Odessa. He adjusts his well-worn Vietnam Veteran hat, steps inside, and greets the staff with a firm handshake and an easy smile. He’s spent a lifetime serving others. Now, like many veterans, he’s navigating a season where he needs support of [...]

The line to get a turkey meal from the Addison Area Food Pantry wrapped all the way down the block and around the corner, but this isn’t usual. Jaime Potts, the pantry’s Program Coordinator, said their 2025 Turkey Giveaway was the busiest they’d ever been. “That was the most people we’ve ever had at once. [...]

As the federal government shutdown continues, thousands of families across the Southern Tier are facing uncertainty about how they’ll access food in the coming weeks. Nearly 5,000 federal employees are currently without paychecks, and more than 67,000 individuals will lose access to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits beginning November 1. While the Food Bank [...]

Enfield Elementary’s School Food Center delivers fresh, nutritious food to children and families who need it most. Your kindness and commitment not only ensures no child in Enfield goes hungry, but it led to a new partnership between the center and Earlybird Nursery in Ithaca. With the help of County Legislator Randy Brown, Cornell Cooperative [...]

A huge thank you to all the incredible businesses who joined us for this year’s Leader of the Pack competition — proudly sponsored by Wegmans! This high-energy event brought together teams from across the region, all stepping up to help fight childhood hunger in the Southern Tier. Whether racing the clock or showing off their [...]