Year-end service learning celebration Friday

May 11, 2011

BINGHAMTON — Binghamton University students and leaders of nine local non-profit agencies will meet at 6 p.m. Friday at the Roberson Museum and Science Center, 30 Front St.

They’ll celebrate students’ work through their LEAD 353 service learning course, wherein they partnered with the Broome County Council of Churches and Urban League, Binghamton Youth Bureau, Mom’s House of Endicott, The Humane Society, A Room to Heal, the Roberson and Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments in a variety of projects.

Students scrutinized each group’s strengths and weaknesses to formulate plans for future activities. One of the projects will be chosen for a $2,000 award, allowing the winning team to implement the plan for the organization.

Support for this annual service learning experience is provided by Manley’s Might Mart, which over the course of the program’s 10-year history has committed more than $150,000.

— Valerie Zehl

Church group honors three volunteers

Written by Valerie Zehl vzehl@gannett.com
May 7, 2011

As services for America's aging population hang on budgetary tenterhooks, the Broome County Council of Churches has an answer already in place.

The Faith in Action (FIA) program is a network of caring people from local congregations, and about 300 community members gathered Friday morning to celebrate their generous spirit at the Binghamton Riverwalk Hotel.

Three volunteers were honored at the annual Lives of Commitment Awards Breakfast: Anthony Russo, Gloria Kranefuss and Sam A. Lupo Jr.

Russo, a junior at Newark Valley High School, has been a driving force in the FIA's Ramp It Up program, where young people build access ramps for those with disabilities.

Lupo, president of Sam A. Lupo & Sons, was honored for the scope of his community service.

Kranefuss, at age 84, has a long list of services she still enthusiastically renders. Too overwhelmed to address the audience directly, she read a poem she wrote about her activities and received appreciative chuckles in return: "I've delivered food to people/breakfast lunch and dinner/I try to keep the thin ones/from getting any thinner" and "I'll take you where you want/I don't mind one iota/Just call me up, I'll be right there/you'll hop in my Toyota." The shy, tiny, selfless woman received a standing ovation.

Keynote speaker, Rabbi Rachel Esserman, noted that because of a severe hearing disability, she too needs help sometimes, and hasn't yet encountered a stranger who refused to render it. "Life can be precarious," she said. "We may all need a helping hand" at some point.

More caregivers, fundraisers, mentors and other volunteers are always needed, as is material assistance to build more ramps for local people with disabilities. To learn more about the BC Council of Churches' Faith in Action program, log on broomecouncil.net or phone (607) 724-9130.

At midnight or morning, Southern Tier Christians gather to celebrate

By William Moyer •wmoyer@gannett.com •

December 24, 2010, 3:25 pm



By simple subtraction after the diocese closed six churches since 2000, local Catholics had fewer options for Mass on Christmas Eve.

Despite the closings, mergers and other reconfigurations in a massive downsizing, however, Catholics still flocked to traditional midnight Masses on Friday in Broome County.

"We have nothing to show total attendance at midnight or others Masses on Christmas Eve has decreased since we closed churches," said Danielle Cummings, director of communications for the Syracuse diocese, which includes Broome County.

"What we've seen in recent years is Mass at different times on Christmas Eve to accommodate people's needs," added Cummings. "In some cases, the time has changed from the typical midnight Mass or parishes have added earlier Masses."

In recent years, the diocese closed St. Rita in Chenango Forks; St. Stanislaus in Dickinson; St. Joseph and St. Andrew, both in Binghamton; St. Christopher in Castle Creek; and Christ the King in Endwell.

Still, at least 11 remaining Catholic churches in Broome County held traditional midnight Masses: Sts. John & Andrew, St. Mary and St. Patrick, all in Binghamton; Our Lady of Good Counsel in West Endicott; St. Ambrose, St. Casimir and St. Joseph, all in Endicott; Holy Family in Endwell; St. James in Johnson City; Our Lady of Sorrows in Vestal; and Our Lady of Lourdes in Windsor. Mass, either at midnight or earlier, remains important to Catholics, said Cummings.

Christians in the Southern Tier and elsewhere awake today to celebrate Christmas, one of the holiest days in Catholic and Protestant churches.

Most churches observed Christ's birth with an assortment of Christmas Eve services on Friday night. Many included candle-lighting ceremonies to symbolize Christians' belief that Jesus is the "light" of the world who was born in a manger to overcome the "darkness" of sin.

Despite a overall decline in organized religion in the past two decades, Christmas remains a religiously significant observance, according to the Rev. Stephen Starzer, pastor of Conklin Presbyterian Church.

Attendance at the church's two Christmas Eve services has remained steady in recent years, said Starzer.

"You come to the end of the commercialized Christmas and ask, 'There's got to be more to it than this?'" said Starzer, who's been pastor at Conklin Presbyterian for 20 years. "Christmas Eve remains important. People come to give pause, sit, think and hear a different message about Christmas."


Not all Christians celebrate Christmas today, though. Hundreds of Orthodox Christians in the Southern Tier will observe the Feast of the Nativity on Jan. 7. Commonly known as Orthodox Christmas, the date for this celebration is set by the older Julian calendar.

Christmas came early Thursday for inmates at the Broome County Correctional Facility in Dickinson. They received gift boxes from the jail ministries program of the Broome County Council of Churches.

About 450 inmates received gift bags with cookies, chips, tissues, candy canes and other small items donated by local churches, schools and civic organizations, according to the Rev. Cris Mogenson, chaplain.

"This is reaching out to a part of our community that is forgotten a lot of the time, much more so this time of the year," added Elizabeth Hayes, jail ministry re-entry program coordinator.

A white Christmas is unlikely, according to the National Weather Service at Greater Binghamton Airport. The forecast for Christmas is cloudy with a high temperature near 30 degrees. The last significant snowfall on Christmas Day was 12.7 inches recorded on Dec. 25, 2002.

Although the actual day when Jesus was born is unknown, Christmas evolved into a Christian celebration of his birth in the centuries after his death to coincide with secular winter festivals. Christians eventually fixed Dec. 25 as the permanent date for their observance


According to the Association of Religion Data Archives at Pennsylvania State University, roughly 108,200 of Broome County's estimated population of 196,000 residents identify themselves as Christians, including mainline Protestants, Evangelicals and Catholics. In Tioga County, about 18,000 people among the estimated population of 51,000 are listed as Christians.


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11 Binghamton-area groups receive Gannett Foundation grants

Staff report • December 18, 2010, 5:20 pm

The Binghamton Philharmonic, the United Way of Broome County and Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network are among the 11 Binghamton-area groups that received Gannett Foundation grants this year.



The foundation gives grants to organizations in communities where Gannett Co. Inc. owns a daily newspaper or television station.


Binghamton-area groups received $28,700, while Elmira-area programs received $11,100 and Ithaca-area groups received $10,000.


Local grant recipients included:

* United Way of Broome County: $9,700 for its 2010 campaign

* Binghamton Philharmonic: $2,000 in support of coaching sessions with members of the Binghamton Youth Symphony
* Boys & Girls Club of Western Broome: $2,000 in support of the Triple Play health and wellness program

* Broome County Gang Prevention: $2,000 toward after-school programming at the Tabernacle Youth Center

* Broome County Council of Churches: $2,000 in support of the Youth Initiative Wheel Chair Ramp program
* Catholic Charities of Chenango: $2,000 in support of their Roots & Wings food security pilot program
* Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Tioga County: $1,000 in support of the Incredible Years Parents and Toddler Series
* Kopernik Observatory & Science Center: $2,000 in support of their pilot program to introduce economically disadvantaged preschoolers in Broome County to age-appropriate experiential learning in the physical sciences
* Metro Interfaith Housing Management Corp.: $1,500 toward replacement of the roof at 94 Henry Apartments, located on New Street in Binghamton

* Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network: $3,000 to help provide food for the Parents as Leaders Family Resource Centers' Dinner Bell and Breakfast programs


* Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse: $1,500 toward the purchase of furnishings and equipment for a residential facility for homeless men located at 56-58 Whitney Ave. in Binghamton.


Nonprofits interested in applying for a Gannett Foundation grant can get guidelines and an application at www.gannettfoundation.org. Applications will be reviewed twice in 2011. Deadlines for applying are Feb. 15 and Aug. 16.

Contact Jan Lesko at (607) 798-1112 with questions. Grant applications should be sent to Sherman Bodner, president and publisher, Press & Sun-Bulletin, P.O. Box 1270, Binghamton, N.Y. 13902-1270.




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Help needed to deliver toys

December 18, 2010, 10:25 pm

Binghamton The Broome County Council of Churches Jail Ministry Program needs volunteers to deliver small Christmas gifts for children of local inmates. Call (607) 724-9130 for more information or visit the Council of Churches, 3 Otseningo St., Binghamton. Packages are prepared and waiting, sorted by zip code.


Packages can be left at recipients' doors.

-- Valerie Zehl

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"Food For Fines" At Broome County Public Library

By WBNG News

December 20, 2010

Have you been a naughty library patron this year?

Well, for a limited time, you can make nice with the library and a local food pantry at the same time.

Monday, December 20 through Friday, December 31, every non-perishable food item you bring to the Broome County Public Library will get you $1 off your library fines.

All the food will go to the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse. CHOW helps 8,900 families in our community.

The "Food For Fines" program will help you knock down your fines, and also help families in need this holiday season.

For more information, you can call the library at (607) 778-6400.

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Donate to CHOW, get free Frosty

December 7, 2010, 6:51 am


All area Wendy’s Restaurants are accepting non-perishable food items for the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse during the month of December. With each donation (one per visit), receive a coupon for a free Frosty, said Patsy Thatcher, marketing and community relations manager for Wendy’s.


— Valerie Zehl

Mirabito to collect food for CHOW

BINGHAMTON Mirabito Energy Products said it will host is second annual holiday gathering from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Metrocenter.


The public is invited to enjoy pictures, pictures with Santa, raffles and Christmas carols at the event.

A craft station will be available for children to color pictures that will be sent to troops overseas.

The cost of admission is at least one canned food item, which will be donated to Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse.

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CHOW Benefit Concert - 12/4/2010

The 7th annual Chorus for CHOW Benefit was held at the Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds filled the pews and listened to holiday music for an excellent cause.

The concert is held annually to raise money for the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse of the Broome County Council of Churches.

CHOW's director says many people are in urgent need of food this holiday season.

"So we're really here to help people who have to face the dilemma, "Do I pay for my heat bill or do I buy food?" And so, we're able to say because of the generosity of this community, "pay your heat bill and we'll give you the food you need," said Ed Blaine, the Director of Chow.

Last year this event raised around $2,000, and the events organizers hope to match that amount this year.

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Food for Fines at the Broome County Library

From Broome County Public Library:


Do you have outstanding fees on your account at the Broome County Public Library? For a limited time, you can reduce your fines and help the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) at the same time! Between December 20 and December 31, you will receive $1.00 off your fines for each non-perishable food item that you bring to the Library. Food items will be donated to CHOW in support of their assistance programs to the 8,900 families served in our community. Help yourself and help CHOW at the same time during this holiday season. For more information, please call the Library at 607-778-6400.

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Chorus concert to benefit CHOW

December 2, 2010, 12:00 am
The seventh annual Choruses for CHOW benefit concert will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 380 Main St. in Johnson City.

The event, which raises money for the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, will feature the Southerntiersmen Barbershop Chorus, the Binghamton Downtown Singers, the Bronzissimo! Bell Choir, the Carousel Harmony Chorus, Young Women in Harmony Chorus and the Endwell Community Chorus.

The concert is sponsored by the Southerntiersmen. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Purchase tickets by calling the Broome County Council of Churches at 724-9130 or by contacting a chorus member.

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Agencies working to help those most in need

November 29, 2010, 9:00 pm


If your biggest challenge of the holidays is fighting crowds at the mall, you've got it easy.


"Some parents say, 'Could you not bother giving my kids gifts? Just give me some extra food,'" said Kathy Pfaffenbach, supervisor of emergency services for Catholic Charities of Broome County.

That's how bad it is for some people out there.

Many local groups have stepped up to provide at least a bit of holiday cheer for those most strapped by tight economic circumstances.

.................Next time you're on Boscov's fourth floor, notice the little Christmas tree near the courtesy desk. It's the "Santa for Seniors" project, sponsored by the elderly-care agency called Home Instead and Broome County Council of Churches' Faith in Action program. Take a tag, buy the gift requested on it -- invariably humble ones, such as sugar-free chocolate or warm slippers -- then take the gift to that courtesy desk to be wrapped for free. Then leave it and the tag with the Boscov's staff for pickup and distribution by Home Instead, explained Rebecca A. Bradley, staff recruitment and retention coordinator for the agency. Call (607) 723-3600 for details.


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Region's largest craft fair a festive break from traditional shopping

By George Basler •gbasler@gannett.com • November 27, 2010, 6:00 pm


VESTAL -- Joyce Thomas wasn't going to let cold weather and a few morning snow flurries discourage her from trekking to Binghamton University's West Gym Saturday.

Shoppers fill Binghamton University's West Gym looking for unique gifts at the seventh annual Holiday Traditions Craft Show. The event draws between 3,500 and 5,000 people and features artists and crafts people from across the region. (GEORGE BASLER / Staff Photo)

The 65-year-old Johnson City woman wasn't there to watch a sporting event, but to look, browse and possibly buy items from the 150 artists and crafts people who filled the gym and lobby for what organizers said is the largest annual crafts fair in the region.


The snow "made me think how sweet the season is," said Thomas, who comes to the event every year looking for homemade and special gifts.


The Holiday Traditions Craft Show, which was in its seventh year, draws between 3,500 and 5,000 persons and attracts vendors from across the Southern Tier, central New York and Pennsylvania who must apply and be selected to be part of the show, said Amy Hastings, who co-promotes the event with Sally Giannini.


Visitors "build relationships with local artists" and "find it a festive shopping experience," Hastings said.


Festive, but crowed: An hour after the show opened, the parking lot by the West Gym already resembled the lots in malls on Black Friday. Cars filled nearly every spot. Inside, the gym and lobby were crowded with shoppers, making it slow going at times.


"I can go to the mall anytime. This is one day a year," said Sue Watson, of Newark Valley, who like others at the show was looking for unique items.


The show promotes local crafts people, some of whom travel two and three hours to get to BU, Hastings said. The event also raises about $1,000 each year for the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW), she said.


"It's a nice way to start the holiday season," said CHOW Director Ed Blaine.

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Holiday Train Supports a Good Cause

By WBNG News


November 27, 2010

Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) People of all ages bundled up tonight to catch The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train roll into town.



Each year the railway sends its Holiday Train on a tour through northern New York and Canada.
At each stop, the train opens its doors to a stage of entertainment and thousands of colorful lights.

This year there was a live performance by Canadian singer Melanie Doane.

"I think it's a great idea for the community CHOW is here and they're collecting food and you know this is the season for giving," said Dan Abashian of Apalachin.

The train will stop in Oneonta on Sunday at 3:15 pm.

It will then roll on to Cobleskill, Delanson and Schenectady.

Visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or cash that will be donated to local food banks in communities where the train stops.

Saturday's donations will go to help the Broome County Council of Churches and the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, or CHOW, to feed the hungry during the holiday season.

This is the 12th year the train has teamed up with CHOW in Binghamton.

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GHS collects food for CHOW

November 24, 2010, 7:05 am

GHS Federal Credit Union said it is collecting nonperishable food items until the end of the month for donation to Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse. The credit union noted, however, that it will donate what it has on hand prior to Thanksgiving.


Collection locations include the GHS office on Front Street in Dickinson and the office on Court Street in Binghamton.

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Binghamton High students to host Thanksgiving dinner for thousands

By George Basler •gbasler@gannett.com • November 22, 2010, 10:05 pm


BINGHAMTON -- An expected crowd of 2,000 people will fill the Binghamton High School cafeteria Thursday, and they won't be thinking about tests, homework and study halls. They'll be thinking about turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing.

Binghamton High students Claudia Kotchick and Harry Kammerma get ready for Thursday's Thanksgiving Dinner at the high school. Students have been organizing the dinner, which serves thousands, for 16 years. (GEORGE BASLER / Staff Photo)

For the 16th straight year, BHS students will serve a Thanksgiving dinner for the community. The event has grown into one of the largest annual holiday gatherings and a source of pride for those at the high school.

"The dinner is a staple of the good things that come out of Binghamton High," said senior Claudia Kotchick, 17, president of the school's chapter of the National Honor Society and this year's chairwoman.

Approximately 300 students, faculty and staff have volunteered to spend part of Thursday at the school, organizers said. Students and cafeteria staff will begin preparing the meals Wednesday.

In addition to dinners served at the school, community residents will deliver more than 2,000 meals to people at their residences.

The dinner served about 3,200 people last year, and the numbers are expected to be higher this year because of the economy, said Susan Phelps, a social studies teacher who is adviser to the National Honor Society.

Children will also receive a free book and toy but, unlike past years, the dinner will not feature a coat giveaway, organizers said. That had to be canceled because of concerns about bed bugs. In its place, students in the district's various schools have collected food and personal care items for Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse.


While a Thanksgiving meal is something that can be taken for granted, Thursday's event "makes you realize not everyone is so lucky," said junior Harry Kammerman, co-chairman of the serving committee.

Putting it on is fun, he added.

Money for the dinner comes from donations and student fundraising.



http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20101122/NEWS01/11220377/1112/Binghamton-High-students-to-host-Thanksgiving-dinner-for-thousands

Temple Concord neighbors “CHOW down”

By: Sharon Nichols

Coordinator Adrienne Bennett in the Temple Concord Pantry.



Coordinator Adrienne Bennett in the Temple Concord Pantry.

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, under the auspices of Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, nearby residents visit the lower level of Temple Concord, which has served as a CHOW pantry for more than 17 years.

Adrienne Bennett, current coordinator of the Temple Concord Pantry, explained the operation: There are 29 CHOW pantries throughout Broome County, organized by the Broome County Council of Churches. CHOW evaluates applicants, assigns them to a pantry near their homes and notifies the pantry personnel of the clients’ family size and needs.


Temple Concord’s pantry is staffed by fewer than 10 volunteers, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Training of new volunteers addresses the physical operation and the expectations for client interaction. The training is intended to ensure that patrons of the pantry feel welcome and comfortable. The coordinator is responsible for scheduling volunteers, regularly inventorying supplies and placing orders with the CHOW warehouse for needed items.


Temple Concord provides the pantry with a section of its lower level, complete with shelving and office equipment. There is a collection drive during the High Holy Days and food donations can be dropped off in the street level lobby throughout the year. The temple maintains a CHOW fund available for member donations, which are forwarded to the CHOW office. While stock varies, the most needed items currently are bottles of fruit juice, canned fruit, gelatin and pudding mixes. Bennett noted that in the past, the pantry was able to provide coupons that could be redeemed at specific supermarkets for perishables such as eggs, butter and meat. However, only milk coupons are currently available.


Bennett has coordinated the Temple Concord Pantry for approximately 10 years. She enjoys talking with the clients and their children, and believes that her efforts make a difference in the community. A native of Brooklyn, NY, she has a daughter, Ricki, in Oakland, CA; a son, Mark, in Honolulu, HI; and a granddaughter in Walla Walla, WA.

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Hunger hits home: Area food banks see a nearly 25% increase in people in need

By G. Jeffrey Aaron •jgaaron@gannett.com •

November 20, 2010, 12:00 am

As the tough economy makes it harder for families to put food on the table, food relief agencies are becoming more resourceful as they work to keep pace with the increasing number of people needing their services.

Food cupboards, pantries and community kitchens are reporting a rising demand for their help, and at the same time, they are seeing a steady stream of food donations coming into their agencies.

The challenge, they say, is making sure the supply of donated food keeps pace with the rising instances of food insecurity.

"Food banks started as a way to rescue the surplus food in the system, but the food industry has gotten better at reducing that waste," said Natasha Thompson, president of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.As a member of the Feeding America organization, the Food Bank supplies products for 188 feeding programs in Broome, Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler, Tompkins and Tioga counties.

"The system has changed, the sources have changed but distribution methods haven't," Thompson said.

On Nov. 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service reported that more than 50 million Americans, including more than 17 million children, lack consistent access to a nutritious well-balanced diet.

The report, titled Household Food Insecurity in the United States, is based on data collected by the federal government in December.

The sharp rise in food insecurity during the latest recession mirrors the findings in Feeding America's report Hunger in America 2010.

The study showed that the number of people seeking emergency food assistance each year through the Feeding America national network of food banks has increased 46 percent since 2006, from 25 million to 37 million.

Close to home

Feeding programs across the region are reporting similar increases.

Edward Blaine, director of the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse in Binghamton, said the number of people using the services of his agency's 30 food cupboards and 35 community kitchens has jumped by 24 percent this year. The agency limits its activities to Broome County.

Three years ago, the Food Bank of the Southern Tier distributed 5.19 million pounds of food through its network of 180 member agencies. It was food that found its way onto the plates of more than 9,000 people each week.

This year, the agency is working its way to distributing more than 7 million pounds of food and is on track to serve almost 11,000 people each week through its 188 partner agencies in the six-county area.

Meanwhile, the 24 feeding programs that are partnered with Ithaca's Friendship Donation Network are seeing a 25 percent increase in the number of clients it serves each year.

"Every single day you read about a firm closing and what you are looking at is a family in crisis," said Sara Pines, Friendship Donations' founder and past director.


"They may lose the rental apartment or their home, the family may break down and abuse may start or continue at a higher level," Pines said.

"They are insecure and don't know how they are going to meet the necessities of food, shelter and clothing. It's a destroyer of families and unfortunately, it's rising every day."

With more mouths to feed, hunger relief agencies are becoming more resourceful in soliciting their food donations.

In days past, food drives sponsored by schools, churches and groups such as the Boy Scouts were adequate.

Now, as the need rises, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon as the volume of donated food from local sources complements increases acquired through government channels.

"Sourcing food is still a challenge and we do look out into the network to bring food in from outside our service area," said the Food Bank's Thompson.

"Since the recession and with the new farm bill and the stimulus package, there's more money allocated for the federal government's commodities program, so we've been fortunate to see an increase there in the last three years.

"Meanwhile, we're turning over every rock to source the products locally," she said.

Sometimes, that means coming up with some innovative ways of convincing people to donate food.

Canstruction competition: Each year, the Food Bank sponsors a Canstruction competition, where local groups use canned food items to construct buildings.

After the structures are judged and the awards passed to the builders, all of the canned food used in the contest goes into the Food Bank's warehouse and is eventually distributed to needy families.

The Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse is working with Binghamton University on a similar food drive, Blaine said. He also said his agency has received food donations from families where a child has had a birthday party and asked the guests to bring canned foods instead of presents. The food is then donated to the warehouse.

"It's the kids that are coming up with the idea," Blaine said. "They know someone else who's done it and things like that catch on."

Since the beginning of the month, the Corning Community YMCA has been holding its first food drive.

"It seems every time we turn around, we are being asked to bring a canned good to an event, so the decision was made for us to get involved," said Ann Galvin, the volunteer at the YMCA who is heading the effort.

But unlike other food drives, each week in the Y's five-week program is dedicated to specific food items.

Last week, the agency was seeking peanut butter, jelly, cake mixes and Jell-O. Next week, the targeted food includes pasta and canned spaghetti sauce.

During the food drive's final week, soup and cereal will be the preferred items.

The food collected will then be given to Corning's Family Service Society, which will sort the items and deliver food-filled boxes to the families enrolled in its Family Focus program.

"This is a hard time of year," Galvin said. "We're heading into winter, so we decided to get involved.


"Sometimes, people usually reach into their cabinets and start grabbing things out for a food drive. But by putting out the preferred list each week, as people go shopping, they'll hopefully remember, see the items and maybe buy extra."

While some groups place their emphasis on canned and boxed foods -- which can be stored in warehouses for longer periods of time -- agencies such as Friendship Donations Network look to move perishable products such as fresh produce and whole-grained breads.

That business model, however, isn't without its hurdles when one considers the relatively short growing season here in the Northeast and the ups and downs of the farming industry.

"We see the increase in need, but at the same time we've also lost some of the donors," said Lisa Duggan, Friendship Donations' program coordinator.

"Some wholesale companies we dealt with went out of business and when the P&C markets were purchased by Tops Friendly Markets, they stopped giving us produce," she said.

"But they give us other things and other sources have increased their donations. For example, the USDA farm in Tompkins County and Cornell University's farm have planted extra rows of produce that they give to us."

Because of the perishable nature of the food it distributes, Food Donations Network has its community-based feeding partners, located in Tompkins, Schuyler, Tioga, Yates, Chemung and Seneca counties, pick up the produce directly from the donors according to a pre-arranged schedule.

"Our 24 programs come to Ithaca and they are assigned a number of stores where they pick up the food," Pines said.

"Every single day, our sources give us 20 or 30 different kinds of breads, bagels, rolls and pastries. They also put out 300 to 800 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and we also have two sheds and they are assigned a quantity of food from the sheds.

To that same end, Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse operates produce farms at two Broome County locations and is seeking a grant to help it achieve its goal of tilling a total of four acres and distributing 15,000 pounds of produce next year.

By 2015, the agency hopes to increase its acreage to 10 acres and its production to 50,000 pounds of produce.

Distributing fresh food, which is more nutritious than boxed or canned food, comes with another issue -- how to cook it.

"A lot of people don't know what to do with fresh foods that don't come out of a can or a box," Pines said.

"We're finding we have to teach people how to use fresh foods. We use coordinators to handle the educational part. They meet people where they are and teach them how to cook the food."Thompson says her agency has partnered with Cornell Cooperative Extension to go to some food distribution sites, set up a table and do a fresh food tasting.

She also said the state Health Department offers a mobile program where nutritionists offer educational program in various community settings.

"But there's definitely more room for that type of work," she said.

Is it all working? For the most part, the food relief agency heads say "Yes." But the degree of success depends on who's doing the talking.

"We're not falling behind, but we're not getting ahead either," said Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse's Blaine.

"More people are being generous and we're able to distribute more food, but we would like to be able to stock up our warehouse."

Thompson said her agency appears to be making headway, partly because of the Food Bank's mobile food pantry, which allows the agency to increase the amount of food going out to the high-need sections in remote areas.

She also said the Food Bank is expanding its retail pick-up program to include high-volume grocers like Wegmans and Sam's Clubs, who donate items they feel can't be sold.

"We were doing it on a small scale for a little while, but we recently obtained a truck through a grant so now we'll be able to ramp it up," she said.

A Time to Give

A Time to Give is an effort by The Ithaca Journal to assist our community's not-for-profit human service agencies.

Items listed are things most needed by the agency to help our community. Agencies with wish lists can send items to ijnews@gannett.com.

Agency mission: to help build communities that care for all people by reducing poverty, promoting healthy individual and family life, collaborating with faith communities and advocating for social justice.

Two items most needed: 1. Blankets. 2. Men's and children's gloves.

For more information: www.catholiccharitiestt.org

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Craft show to benefit CHOW

November 19, 2010, 7:50 am

A holiday craft show at Binghamton University on Nov. 27 will help raise money for the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse.

The event, which features more than 140 crafters from around the Southern Tier, will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the West Gym. In addition to the craft show, there will be baskets filled with crafts to help raise money for CHOW. Admission is $3, and food donations for CHOW are also sought.

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Kids to raise funds for CHOW

November 9, 2010, 7:10 am

Clayton Avenue Elementary School fifth-graders are holding a “Kids for CHOW” event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Oakdale Mall in Johnson City.


Anyone donating to the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse at the event will receive a hand-painted picture from one of the Vestal students. All donations will be given to CHOW to help feed those in need during the holiday season.

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