For every child’s sake:
Pantry services are NOT emergency food services
On Friday, July 16, SiCM had the opportunity to host U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for a press conference highlighting the Child Tax Credit that is being made available through the American Rescue Plan. Below are my remarks:
Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM) is an over 50-year-old collaborative of faith communities throughout Schenectady County, with a mission to bridge the gaps opened and perpetuated by systemic poverty through access to food and nourishment. Because food insecurity is only one expression of poverty, we also seek to embrace the intersections of food and poverty through intentional social justice organizing and advocacy, and in curating spaces that are safe and encourage diversity and inclusion.
By managing the largest pantry in the county, farming upwards of 1.5 acres of urban land, and facilitating a county-wide summer meals program for children and youth, the Schenectady Community Ministries has thousands of connections with neighbors and friends that live in or close to official measures of poverty. Our main work with the community is to bridge the food insecurity gap - we serve hundreds of thousands of meals worth of food to over 10,000 households. Well over 30% of the people we serve are children. And anecdotally we know we are not reaching all children and families that depend on food assistance, discounted or free meals in our schools. What I mean by that is that by adding our work to that of sister food pantries throughout the city and the county, we know we have much work to do. Pantry operations are not emergency food services. Pantry operations like ours are becoming the main source of nourishment to many families in the city and county of Schenectady.
The availability of the Child Tax Credit, in cash, for the next 6 months, will provide thousands of families across the county with another way to bridge the challenges of poverty many face. For the next 6 months, thousands of parents throughout Schenectady and New York State will have a financial opportunity and perhaps the mental space to embrace some of the dreams they have for their children - dreams of health, strength, and opportunity.
Schenectady Community Ministries - with and alongside community organizing and service partners - will do its part in helping bridge the many gaps of poverty. We thank Senator Gillibrand and the NYS congressional delegation for their steadfast work on behalf of children in this landmark legislation. We look forward to collaborating with the senator and policymakers at all levels of government to make sure the appropriate assistance and infrastructures are put in place to ensure the possibility of our children to thrive.