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Emergency food packages available

Obtaining food is one of the biggest challenges of living in the time of coronavirus, especially for those in need.

Now, two local organizations are helping to do something about it.

AdkAction in Saranac Lake, and the Hub on the Hill in Essex, New York, have launched an emergency food packages project to assist local families facing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Each EFP contains about a week’s worth of fresh food and healthy, prepared meals. The food is purchased from local farms and prepared using paid, local labor. The EFP will be delivered directly to the doorsteps of households in need, free of charge.

“I’ve never been in a position where I’ve needed help like this so it’s not easy but this is a huge relief,” said one EFP recipient.

The two organizations aim to provide 100 boxes of food every week for the next 10 weeks. A total of 1,000 packages — representing 15,000 meals — will be created and delivered.

Each Emergency Food Package contains eggs, bread, apples, healthy snacks, yogurt, greens, granola, soup, and two large trays of frozen entrees.

“We felt we had to alter course and do something significant to help out so many families in need. We have been addressing food insecurity since 2017 with our Farmacy Project, so this new effort stems from that work and recognizes the immense new barriers to food access that COVID-19 presents,” said Brittany Christenson, executive director of AdkAction.

AdkAction has launched a fundraising campaign calling upon the aid of its 400-plus members and board of directors, as well as project partners and the general public. More than $47,000 has been raised in the first week of the campaign, enough to support the first 850 EFPs.

The goal is to raise $55,000 to support the creation and home delivery of 1,000 EFPs over the next 10 weeks. If the goal is exceeded, AdkAction and The Hub on the Hill will use additional funds to expand the program and provide more EFPs to families in need.

“We’re fortunate to be in a position to help. The Hub has been focused on strengthening food systems infrastructure throughout the region for the last five years and watching it pay off in a time of need is truly rewarding. In a moment full of so much uncertainty, we’re able to channel our energy and capacity in a meaningful way, and for that we’re grateful,” said Jori Wekin, director of The Hub on the Hill.

Anyone who wants to help can donate one Emergency Food Package for $55. To learn more, go to https://emergencyfoodpackages.funraise.org/ or www.adkaction.org.

Individuals and families in need are being screened and selected by the Joint Council for Economic Opportunity (JCEO), Adirondack Community Action Program (ACAP), and Community Connections.

AdkAction staff time, software, and other resources are being donated to the EFP Project to ensure that 100% of donations received are spent on the food from local farmers, and also for fair wages for the staff at the Hub on the Hill who are making and delivering the Emergency Food Packages.

AdkAction is a New York Not-for-Profit Corporation, with Articles of Incorporation filed with the New York State Department of State, and is recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Donations are tax-deductible.

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