Loaves & Fishes of Tompkins County and Catholic Charities Steuben/Livingston are among the food-assistance organizations awarded state grants for refrigeration, vehicles and other improvements to food storage and delivery.
The awards are part of $8.3 million for 59 organizations across all 10 New York State regions through NY PLATES, a capital program administered by the Dormitory Authority with the state Department of Health, according to a state announcement.
The full recipient list includes $74,283 for Loaves & Fishes to replace an aging walk-in cooler and $53,385 for Catholic Charities Steuben/Livingston to purchase a cargo van for food collection, transportation and deliveries.
The money pays for buildings, infrastructure and equipment used by emergency food providers. It comes from a $10 million program established in the fiscal 2027 state budget.
Rochester providers receive five Finger Lakes awards
The state lists $659,691 for five organizations in its Finger Lakes economic-development region, all in Monroe County.
Foodlink was awarded $400,000 to improve refrigerated loading docks and related infrastructure at its Rochester distribution center. SW Food Program was awarded $86,216 for a refrigerated van to move fresh and perishable food for The People's Pantry.
The Community Place of Greater Rochester was awarded $62,692 for commercial refrigeration and freezer equipment, shelving and a food transportation vehicle for its emergency pantry.
Jewish Family Service of Rochester was awarded $59,713 to upgrade climate control and replace flooring at the Brighton Food Cupboard. Charles Settlement House was awarded $51,070 for a cargo van serving its emergency food program in Rochester.
Southern Tier awards include trucks and backup power
The Southern Tier was awarded $941,297 across eight organizations. The state's regional grouping includes the Tompkins and Steuben awards.
Catholic Charities Food Bank of the Southern Tier was awarded $400,000 for refrigerated box trucks, with rural distribution among the intended uses. Broome County Council of Churches was awarded $125,000 for a refrigerated truck for its Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse program.
Corning Council for Assistance and Information for the Disabled was awarded $97,502 for a refrigerated vehicle serving AIM Independent Living Center's community nutrition and pantry delivery programs. The official award list places that grant in Chemung County.
Other Chemung awards include $65,500 to Catholic Charities Diocese of Rochester for a backup generator to keep refrigeration and freezers operating during outages.
Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse was awarded $74,742 for cold-storage equipment at its Main Street pantry in Binghamton. Catholic Charities of Tompkins/Tioga was awarded $50,886 for flooring, shelving, a walk-in cooler and generators at the Tioga Outreach Center.
Central New York funding supports regional food handling
Central New York's $445,998 allocation includes $400,000 for Food Bank of Central New York in Onondaga County. The project covers a truck and trailer, backup-power improvements and warehouse equipment.
Seven Valleys Health Coalition in Cortland County was awarded $45,998 for a forklift and portable generator supporting food rescue, storage and warehouse work.
The state's other regional totals are about $993,000 for the Capital Region, $1.08 million for Long Island, $970,000 for the Mid-Hudson region, $125,000 for the Mohawk Valley, $2.27 million for New York City, $243,000 for the North Country and $580,000 for Western New York.
Applications for the round were accepted from July 8 through Aug. 20. State officials said awards were evaluated on need, community impact and whether projects could be carried out. Eligible improvements include construction and renovations, refrigeration and freezers, and vehicles used to transport food.
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