LAKE PLACID — Adirondack Community Foundation announced last Friday the establishment of the Small Grants for Small Food Pantries Fund.

This opportunity supports Adirondack region food pantries by investing in infrastructure upgrades to increase access to healthy foods while supporting volunteers. These improvements will help pantries meet the rising demand for emergency food and ensure communities have better access to healthy options, according to a press release.

Small pantries are vital community hubs run by volunteers that sustain food security. A study released in 2020 by the Clinton County Health Department found one of the significant barriers faced by small, rural pantries is a lack of equipment and space for storing fresh fruits and vegetables. And a 2019 study by ACF found the majority of food pantry customers would choose healthier food options some or all of the time, if they were available.

The Small Grants for Small Food Pantries Fund will provide up to $1,500 per pantry as a one-time, infrastructure-related grant to increase food pantry capacity. These funds can be used to purchase a refrigerator, freezer, shelving, training opportunities or technology upgrades. By providing targeted support, pantries can enhance operational efficiency, attract new volunteers and bolster the community groups that strengthen rural communities while improving access to healthy food, according to the press release.

“It is remarkable how much of a difference a single piece of equipment can make for a rural pantry,” ACF Director of Community Impact Kim Trombly said in the relelase. “A new freezer, better technology or improvements to the facility are straightforward, simple fixes to make the pantry run better for years to come. These long-term solutions will not only make volunteering at our pantries more enjoyable, but will help improve access to healthy foods for our community members who need it most.”

The new program is part of ACF’s dual approach to addressing both urgent needs and upstream solutions to regionwide issues. It comes on the heels of the recent spike in demand at local food pantries.

At the end of last October, ACF mobilized its Special and Urgent Needs Fund to provide critical, grantmaking resources following the federal government shutdown, which interrupted the distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. An outpouring of community giving enabled grants to fortify 36 food partners, including 26 pantries reaching over 76,000 people, three meal sites serving over 700 weekly meals and expanding backpack programs for hundreds of families.

Applications must be submitted through ACF’s online grants manager at adkcommunityfoundation.org/granting/apply-grant.

For more information, contact Leslee Mounger at leslee@adkcommunityfoundation.org or 518-523-9904.