Kitchen Jumps Into Action in Time Of Crisis

KINGSTON – Greg Howard, Executive Director of the Ulster County Community Action organization announced that his Agency and People’s Place in Kingston recently received an emergency delivery from the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. Supporting the region’s Disaster Mass Food Distribution effort, Community Action received over 10,000 pounds of food for redistribution to local human service organizations and food pantries in this great time of need.

As a vital part of the recently announced “Project Resilience”, melding Radio Kingston’s Community Fund and local food distribution efforts, Community Action has opened up its commercial Commissary Kitchen to prepare hundreds of meals and distribute canned goods and food staples to local food pantries and senior complexes in the area. 190 nutritious meals have already been delivered to Healthy Way Senior Apartments and to the United Methodist Church Food Pantry, both in Ellenville NY.

Executive Director Greg Howard said, “We’re just getting started. Community Action is entering its’ 55th year serving Ulster County residents and we’re doing what we have always done: helping those in need, especially in times of crisis. The incredible delivery of pallets of food from the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, when so many are food insecure was amazing. And we’ve had so many step up, including folks like Chris Hewitt, Executive Director of the Hudson Valley Current, who donated food and expertise into the effort.”

Howard added that the Ulster County Executive’s Office and organizations such as People’s Place and Family of Woodstock have been involved, along with many local restaurants and caterers donating food. And organizations such as Community Action of Greene County will also be involved in food redistribution with Ulster County Community Action. Howard advises that members of the public contact their local food pantries to find out how food will be distributed, as lines of people outside these places is currently prohibited due to the epidemic.

Normally, Community Action runs programs including the Weatherization Assistance Program, Head Start and Early Head Start, and Outreach Services as the anti-poverty agency serving Ulster and Sullivan Counties. For more information or to donate food or volunteer, contact Community Action at Email: ghoward@uccac.com Phone: 845-338-8750