VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Rising demand at Cortland YMCA Food Pantry amid SNAP uncertainty
Leah Masi: With uncertainty surrounding federal food assistance, local pantries like the Cortland YMCA are already seeing increased demand and this pantry relies entirely on community support. Membership Coordinator Carlotta Case says once a week they receive produce from a local organization, but everything else is unpredictable.
Carlotta Case: As a donation based, it is hard because those big things, people doing a big push for something is not the same as people’s needs, which is all the time every day.
Masi: And when there’s a dire need for resources…
Case: It does also include me spending my own money on occasion.
Masi: Some days, up to 20 people come in for food…many of them regulars. With supply changing week to week, it can be difficult to keep up with demand.
Case: Anything is helpful, especially in places like, if you don’t have a ton of stuff but you’re able to get like an extra can of something while you’re at the store, that’s still better than a lot of folks that aren’t able to get to the store.
Masi: As you can see here, the shelves are bare and as the need for food continues to rise, support from the community is needed now more than ever.
Vincenzo Saraceno: I think it’s important for the community to know that it shouldn’t be sporadic they should consistently take part in donations and throughout the week, you know have in the back of your mind what’s going on in your community.
Masi: Vincenzo Saraceno has been part of the community for over 10 years, and he says even small donations can make a difference.
Case: And that if you cannot give anything, give kindness because everybody deserves to be treated well.
Masi: Supporting their neighbors one day at a time. In Cortland, I’m Leah Masi, NCC News.
CORTLAND, N.Y. (NCC News) — Local food pantries like the Cortland YMCA are seeing increased demand as uncertainty surrounds federal food assistance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits could run out on Nov. 1 unless Congress reaches a deal.
The YMCA’s food pantry relies entirely on community support to meet the needs of residents in Cortland.
Carlotta Case, membership coordinator for the YMCA, said the pantry receives produce once a week from Seven Valleys Food Rescue, a local organization, but donations of other items are unpredictable.
“As a donation-based program, it is hard because those big things, people doing a big push for something, are not the same as people’s needs, which are ongoing every day,” Case said.
Case said that when there is a dire need, she sometimes spends her own money to ensure families can get the items they need.
Some days, up to 20 people come to the pantry, many of them regular visitors. With supply changing week to week, keeping up with demand can be difficult.
“Anything is helpful, especially if you don’t have a ton of stuff but can get an extra can of something while you’re at the store,” Case said. “That’s still better than a lot of folks who aren’t able to get to the store.”
Vincenzo Saraceno, who has lived in Cortland for more than a decade, emphasized the importance of consistent support from the community.
“I think it’s important for the community to know that it shouldn’t be sporadic,” Saraceno said. “They should consistently take part in donations and, throughout the week, keep in mind what’s going on in their community.”
Saraceno was also a part of organizing the Cortland Pumpkin Crawl, during which local businesses encouraged people to donate non-perishable items at several participating locations.
“And if you cannot give anything, give kindness, because everybody deserves to be treated well,” Case said.
As the need for food continues to rise, community support is more critical than ever. Those who wish to donate or need assistance can stop by the YMCA during its hours of operation, which can be found on the organization’s website.