The Ulster County Executive, in partnership with the Ulster County Legislature and Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, is pleased to announce the availability of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support food security and resilience efforts throughout the County.
Building on the information learned from a Food Insecurity study undertaken by the Legislature in 2022, Ulster County has dedicated $275,000 of ARPA funding to support the emergency food security network throughout the County and help bridge the gap between those in need and healthy, accessible food. As part of the project, the County has helped to convene an emergency food working group and provide grant funding that will benefit emergency feeding providers, those they serve, and the resilience of the emergency feeding system.
In alignment with both the Legislature and UCFSAN report findings, funding will focus on proposals that effectively address one or more of the following: (a) food security, (b) leveraging existing resources and expanding existing emergency food services, (c) providing equipment or personnel to increase capacity to collect, store, distribute, and provide food to those in need, and (d) ensure sustainability for organizations addressing food insecurity in critical geographic areas where providers are limited.
A total of $275,000 will be granted to non-profit organizations in Ulster County, and grants made through this program will range from $1,000 to $15,000 for individual organizations. Collaborative projects/programs may ask for excess of $15,000 and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
“With 12 percent of our residents and 17 percent of our children facing food insecurity, these grants are intended to help bolster the work of our emergency food network to meet this significant need,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “We are fortunate to live in a County where so many caring people, organizations, and volunteers donate their time and resources to addressing food insecurity, and these grants will help build capacity, support innovative approaches to meeting the need, and contribute to the long-term resilience of our emergency food system.”
“Ensuring food security for our residents is a fundamental priority. We are deeply grateful to our partner organizations for their unwavering dedication and collaborative efforts. This funding will strengthen our emergency food network and ensure that everyone in Ulster County has access to healthy, nutritious food,” said Peter Criswell, (D-7) Chair of the Ulster County Legislature.
“Addressing community food insecurity, and making sure our residents have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food was our goal and I’m glad that the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding allowed us to do this,” said Thomas Corcoran, Ulster County Legislator (D-11) and Chair of the ARPA Special Committee.
Applications for the grant program opened on April 15, and have a June 14 deadline for submission. Visit communityfoundationshv.org/grants/ for more information and to apply.