NORWICH – Food pantry meal distributions are up as rising unemployment is making it increasingly difficult for people to meet their needs.
In Afton, for example, the number of meals served at the Inter Church Council Food Pantry in 2008 was 19,000 plus - more than double the number of meals served in 2007.
“I don’t think we’ve even hit the surface of it yet,” Supervisor Robert Briggs, R-Afton, told fellow lawmakers Tuesday during a discussion of the nation’s recession and the social services cuts that could soon come down the pike from Albany.
Food pantries across the county are being similarly swamped. Chenango County Catholic Charities Director Jane Coddington said distributions from its Roots and Wings division are “way up.” The pantry served 1,500 more households in 2008 than in 2007.
“January is usually a very slow time of the year for us, but we’ve continued to get new clients over the past three weeks,” said program Director Melinda Mandeville.
More people are also seeking Cathlic Charities’ counseling services. “They are distressed about how their lives have turned out,” Coddington said.
Members of the Chenango County Health and Human Services Committee listened yesterday as three department heads described the possible fall out for local programs and services if the New York State Legislature adopts Governor David Paterson’s budget proposals.
A 24 percent cut in social services and youth programming and a move to create a block grant for use by both Persons In Need of Services (PINS) and the Chenango County Youth Bureau threatens to wipe out recreational programing all together.
Paterson’s proposal would be retroactive to October. Some regions in the state have already cut youth programs as a result, Department of Social Services Commissioner Bette Osborne said.
“I’m not sure whether it’s a done deal or it will go in with the budget. I’ve heard both from Albany.”
Osborne said she feared that the issue wouldn’t be a high priority item in among the state’s lawmakers.
Youth Bureau Director Kathy Clemens said a total of $26,720 in youth programming is on the chopping block, including Big Brother/Big Sisters, Catholic Charities school-based counseling for at-risk kids and $11,650 worth of community recreation and youth service programs.
Town of New Berlin Supervisor Ross Iannello echoed several members of the committee who stressed the need to continue youth programming.
“This program leverages a lot of money in towns, school, etc. There are no great gains in this proposal for anybody except hurting kids,” he said. “We (Chenango County) spend millions on projects that still aren’t finished yet. Why can’t the county make up the difference? Why can’t we assure that these programs can go on?”
James B. Bays, D-Smyrna said, “We are saving ourselves costs down the road by doing these things with youths. It’s not a huge number of dollars.”
Osborne also described potential cuts to nursing home beds, Community Options Programs, such as the Coordinated Children’s Services Initiative, Foster Care, and revenues needed to administer safety net and food stamp services.
“It could be worse for us,” Osborne said. “Some large counties, like Broome and Onondoga, will have millions in COPs program cuts.”
Osborne had some good news for the committee, however. She pointed to nearly $50,000 in additional Home Energy Assistance Program funds that her department applied for and received. The money will be used to offset overtime expenses. DSS employees are working overtime until 7 p.m. in order to keep up with an increasing number of people who are applying for assistance.