The money will be used to purchase food for Fred’s Pantry
Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP) received a $5,000 grant from the United Way of Westchester and Putnam (UWWP) as part of its Covid-19 Crisis Response efforts. CHHOP will use the money to buy food for Fred’s Pantry.
Fred’s Pantry has seen a huge surge in demand due to the Covid-19 outbreak. From March 20, 2020 through May 24, 2020 the number of individuals (households) who have come to the pantry jumped 385 percent year-on-year to 3,707. During that same time the number of household family members who were provided food by Fred’s Pantry rose 429 percent year-on-year to 15,049.
According to United Way, “the chaos and economic upheaval created by Covid-19 will have a long-lasting impact on 40 percent of our neighbors living in poverty or paycheck to paycheck.”
Fred’s Pantry is a reliable source of healthy and nutritious groceries for those experiencing food insecurity.
“At CHHOP we are focusing on how to deal with fluctuating demand at Fred’s Pantry. Currently, there is a tremendous demand on food banks and we must purchase some foods, especially proteins, at retail,” said CHHOP CEO Cynthia Knox. “CHHOP is putting a plan in place so that we can be prepared to ensure that the food supply for Fred’s Pantry is uninterrupted over the next 18 months. We are very grateful for this $5,000 grant that will help us continue to service our clients.”
