Food pantries across the Finger Lakes are facing soaring demand and shrinking resources, according to the Finger Lakes Times. Recent federal cuts slashed $500 million from emergency food aid and eliminated a key program supporting local food purchases for schools and pantries.
Foodlink NY, which serves 10 counties, lost 17 truckloads of food and reports a 40% spike in need. Pantries like Friendship House in Middlesex and the Geneva Salvation Army are seeing record visits but fewer donations and rising food costs, forcing them to buy what was once free.
Privately funded pantries, including Geneva’s Center for Concern and Penn Yan’s The Living Well, echo the same concern: demand is up, funding is down, and hard decisions are looming.