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By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

COXSACKIE — The village of Coxsackie played host to the area’s first mass holiday food distribution event the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Working in conjunction with the Coxsackie Area Food Pantry and other local organizations, the Regional Food Bank of the Hudson Valley provided 380 turkeys and all the trimmings and handed them out at an event at the Coxsackie Village Hall.

“All of Greene County is coming here today — so many people are food insecure,” Town Supervisor Rick Hanse said. “Those of us who are not are fortunate, and it’s great that we can all work together to help.”

Around 80 volunteers from around the region turned out to help. The line of cars waiting for meals went about a quarter of a mile down Mansion Street, Hanse said.

The holiday meal distribution event is usually handled by Equinox, but this year the Regional Food Bank took over the task, Executive Vice President Felicia Kalan said.

“We are meeting a growing need of food insecurity,” Kalan said. “Unfortunately, Equinox could not do the regular Thanksgiving distribution, so we are in over six counties doing this across the region. Unfortunately, this is a growing need in our communities. Today we are seeing a lot of need and we are here to serve.”

In addition to handing out 380 turkeys, each recipient also received juice, collard greens, almonds, pie, walnuts, apple sauce, turkey gravy, grapes, and other supplies. Recipients had to fill out a form and meet income guidelines in order to qualify.

Each vehicle was given about 55 pounds of food in total.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing a growing need — the gap is increasing,” Kalan said. “There are a lot of reasons for that, whether it’s inflation or other reasons.”

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado was on hand to help hand out meals.

“This is an important opportunity to make sure that people’s needs are being met,” Delgado said. “No one should go through the holiday season hungry – no one ever, but especially during the holiday season, so I’m being present and doing what I can.”

U.S. Rep. Marcus Molinaro, R-19, who holds the position Delgado did before being appointed lieutenant governor, also attended and said he was happy to help.

“There is a huge need,” Molinaro said. “This is an opportunity to help. It’s a reminder that families need help, not just during the holidays but all year-round. I would encourage folks to help out like this every day.”

This was the first time an event of this nature was held in Coxsackie.

“The Regional Food Bank asked if they could use Coxsackie and the village complex as a distribution point for all of Greene County, and of course we said ‘yes,’” Coxsackie Mayor Mark Evans said. “This is a great event and a real need for people, so we are happy to help out.”

The food began arriving in the village around 6:15 a.m., Evans said, and volunteers were hard at work throughout the day.

Charlotte Carter, director of the Coxsackie Area Food pantry, said she was first contacted by the Regional Food Bank to see if they would be willing to be a partner to do the first mass distribution of food in Greene County. Carter, who has worked on the issue of food insecurity for 30 years, agreed to do so.

In addition to providing frozen turkeys and bags of food, the event also handed out prepared meals to people who are homebound or who don’t have the kitchen facilities to prepare a meal.

“There is a local chef who prepared meals so some of those went out throughout the county by volunteer home delivery teams,” Carter said.

In the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for food assistance has only grown, she said.

“During COVID, the need stabilized — we didn’t see the huge increases that other areas did,” Carter said. “But since COVID, the number of people has doubled and those numbers have stayed high, and the price of food tripled.”

Carter also thanked the nearly 80 volunteers who came out to help.

“This wouldn’t have been possible if we didn’t have enough volunteers to help,” she said.