Montgomery wins $10m grant to feed the hungry

By Norma Brickner
Posted 4/26/22

Food Bank of the Hudson Valley’s plan for a massive warehouse in Montgomery received a huge boost Monday, when the award of a $10.7 million state grant was announced for the project.

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Montgomery wins $10m grant to feed the hungry

Posted

Food Bank of the Hudson Valley’s plan for a massive warehouse in Montgomery received a huge boost Monday, when the award of a $10.7 million state grant was announced for the project.

The announcement was made at the future home of the warehouse, Aden Brook Agrisales USA, near the intersections of Routes 211 and 416 in the Village of Montgomery.

Though the project is in the Village of Montgomery, and awaits approval by the Village of Montgomery Planning Board, the town board submitted the grant application on its behalf, seeking funding available through the state’s Covid-relief program.

The grant award to the Town of Montgomery was made through the Community Development Block Grant CARES program administered by New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Due to the economic impact of the COVID pandemic, the demand for food assistance across the Hudson Valley Region grew substantially and the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley outgrew its current facility. The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley’s parent organization, has been meeting the increased demand from their facility in Albany. This new facility will allow the Regional Food Bank to honor its commitment to improve local access to food assistance.

The new 40,000-square-foot distribution center will provide increased capacity to obtain, store, and distribute food donations to six counties in the lower Hudson Valley. It is estimated that nearly 179,000 low- to moderate-income New Yorkers in the Hudson Valley are currently receiving food assistance. The federal Community Development Block Grant CARES Act funding was allocated to states to support community projects that address pandemic-related health and safety issues and improve public services.

The Regional Food Bank was created by a group of food pantry coordinators and anti-hunger advocates in June 1982, according to the organization’s website The Food Bank operated for seven years in a commercial storage warehouse, and in 1989 moved into a newly constructed 21,000 square-foot warehouse. The Food Bank outgrew this facility in less than four years and moved its operation to a modern 42,000 square-foot warehouse in 1993. In 2017, the Food Bank completed a major renovation project to significantly expand its warehouse storage space in an effort to meet the ever-growing requests for food assistance. The Food Bank now has a 70,000 square-foot building in Latham, NY to accommodate donations.

In 1990, the Regional Food Bank opened a branch facility in Cornwall-on-Hudson to increase donations from food companies and improve services to agencies in this region. This branch, called Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, is housed in a 55,000 square-foot warehouse.

Together, the Regional Food Bank and Food Bank of the Hudson Valley provide more than 55 million pounds of food each year to 1,000 member agencies in the 23 counties. The Food Bank’s service area encompasses 41% of the landmass of New York State.

Molly Nichol, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, said during the initial peak months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of private donations the food bank would receive dropped and so did their amount of volunteers. She reported a 20 percent increase in the demand for food.

“Our commitment is to be here to serve the need as long as necessary,” Nichol said. “This new building is an example of our commitment. And this whole community is committed to making sure we meet the need as long as it exists.”

This grant will enable the Food Bank of Hudson Valley to efficiently obtain, store and “serve over 179,000 low and moderate income New Yorkers across six counties,” and will “distribute to over 400 community pantries across the region” in Orange, Ulster, Dutchess, Sullivan, and Putnam Counties says RuthAnne Visnauskas, Commissioner of NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

While overlooking nearly an acre of round bales of hay where the warehouse is to be built in Montgomery, Visnaukas added “we are excited to see [the warehouse] rise like a Phoenix.” She further explained that food essentials go hand-in-hand with housing, health care, public transit and broadband needs, and combating hunger is one step in the right direction.

“Clearly, the need is here. It’s ongoing. It’s not going away,” said Emma Fuentes, commications director for State Senator James Skoufis, “and so the fact that we’re going to have this amazing new building to draw all of these resources together and distribute them equitably throughout the Hudson Valley, it’s just incredible.”

For food assistance, to volunteer, or to donate, please visit: foodbankofhudsonvalley.org.