For the last six months, many families in Schuyler County have been struggling to put healthy, wholesome food on the table because of job and income losses from the Covid-19 pandemic. Older folks may be reluctant to go to the store due to potential exposure concerns, so also experience shortages of staple food items or 
favorites.
September is Hunger Action Month. In Schuyler County, BEFORE the pandemic, 1 in 9 people — and 1 in 5 children — were at risk of hunger: that’s over 2000 people in this small county who are food insecure.1 Hunger IS in your neighborhood, and it’s only gotten worse since the spring. But several agencies in the area and their dedicated volunteers are “stepping up to the plate” – literally! — to feed local families despite social distancing challenges.
The Food Bank of the Southern Tier has been running monthly food distributions since April. People can pre-register for drive-through pick-ups of boxes of prepared foods, dairy items, and fresh produce. Some of the eight local food pantries shut down briefly in the spring, but most are now open on their regular schedules, with safety and social distancing guidelines in place. The many volunteers who staff food pantries work hard to provide a welcoming place for all, including people who never had to use a pantry before the pandemic. An amazing fact: the average age of a pantry volunteer in our area is 75 years old.2 Check the Food Bank’s web site for the current schedule of food distributions and pantry hours: https://www.foodbankst.org/
In addition to the pantries, the Food Bank coordinates–and staffs through volunteers–local mobile food pantries. Also, weekly online video classes on how to prepare healthy foods are hosted by the Food Bank’s Just Say Yes nutritionists. And to make sure kids get the healthy food they need to grow and do well in school, the Food Bank provides the Backpack weekend meal program, afterschool snacks, and Kids’ Farmers’ Markets.
An important resource for seniors is the Schuyler County Office for the Aging, which has responded to a nearly doubled need for home-delivered meals. Staff and 11 caring volunteers deliver 115 meals a day to vulnerable or homebound seniors and people with disabilities. Suzanne Blunt, Food Service Manager, says, “We know we are out there spreading good nutrition to people who need it every day… to see their happy faces when I arrive with the meal is why I am here doing what I do!” Check their web site for nutrition resources for seniors: https://www.schuylercounty.us/347/Nutrition-Programs
Fourteen percent of New Yorkers receive SNAP benefits;3 this includes working families, seniors, and families with children. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (previously called Food Stamps). The SNAP-Ed nutritionist at Schuyler Cooperative Extension provides recipes, tip sheets, and online classes and can also answer questions you may have about eating healthy while stretching your food dollars. You can call Joan at 607-535-7161, ext. 3228 or go to our web site: http://cceschuyler.org. To see if you qualify for SNAP, go to myBenefits.ny.gov or call Schuyler DSS at 535-8303 .
The recipe below is a real budget stretcher. Not keen on lentils? Consider that they cook up much more quickly than other dried beans, are a great protein source, and can be seasoned to YOUR taste. Red lentils turn a lovely golden color when cooked, and although they cost a few more pennies per pound, can be more visually appealing to reluctant lentil newbies.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Fall Favorite Lentil Stew
Try this delicious stew with a dollop of plain fat-free regular or Greek yogurt.
It will warm you up on a chilly evening! Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients:
8 cups of water 1 pound brown or red lentils, washed
1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 large green pepper, diced
1 cup celery, diced 1 large onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
8 sprigs chopped cilantro or parsley ½ teaspoon black pepper (optional)
Directions:
- In a large pot, boil water. Add lentils and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
- Heat oil in a frying pan. Add onions, green pepper, carrots, celery and cilantro or parsley. Cook 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable mixture to the pot of lentils; simmer for 1 hour. Season with pepper and salt (if desired).
Joan Martin, SNAP-Ed Nutritionist, CCE Schuyler
Recipe Source: The recipe has been modified to ½ teaspoon of salt, which reduces the sodium content on the nutrition facts label to 150 milligrams
Photos: https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/; SNAP-Ed NY
- Food Bank of the Southern Tier data
- Food Bank of the Southern Tier webinar, 9.10.20
- https://otda.ny.gov/resources/caseload/2020/2020-06-stats.pdf
Joan Martin, SNAP-Ed Nutritionist, CCE Schuyler
