To the Editor:

Early in October I wrote a Letter to the Editor in response to an article in This Week that stated that the legislature was considering creating a county wide food pantry. I expressed my concerns with having a county wide food pantry. After the letter appeared in your paper, Rita Curran called me to inform me that what the legislature was actually looking at was creating a county wide food bank.

Last week your paper used my letter as a part of its North Country Now Survey. In the question you referred to my letter and stated that I was opposed to a county wide food bank. This is not what my letter said at all! You are using the terms “food pantry” and “food bank” as if they are the same thing. These two terms are not interchangeable. This is like comparing apples and onions!

In the field of education we call this a “teachable moment.” For clarification purposes, a food bank is a food distribution program where food pantries get food to distribute to families and individuals. St. Lawrence County is served by the Food Bank of Central New York, located in Syracuse. Local food pantries order food from the Food Bank of Central NY. Food is then shipped from the Food Bank of CNY to the local food pantries.

So, while I am most definitely opposed to a county wide food pantry; I am not opposed to a county wide food bank. However, when speaking with Rita Curran about the proposal of a county wide food bank, I stressed that creating a county wide food bank would be no small feat. This would be a huge undertaking, with a need for much research in order to duplicate the wonderful services we currently receive from the Food Bank of CNY. A food bank is so much more than just a building to store food! We currently receive grants from the Food Bank of CNY to purchase food, as well as opportunities for grants to purchase equipment and pay rent and utilities. Through the Food Bank of CNY we can get USDA Food, as well as donated food (through grocery rescue) for free. They also provide perishable and non-perishable food at low cost. Delivery of food is essential, because most food pantries do not have the means to safely transport food, especially in the extremes of summer heat and winter cold. Handling food safely has to be a top priority, otherwise you can run the risk of people getting seriously ill.

If the people who are looking into creating a county wide food bank could duplicate all the services we currently receive from the Food Bank of CNY, I would certainly be interested in hearing more about this proposal. But, if we are going backwards and losing any of the services we currently receive, I think we need to stick with what we have.

Wendy Chambers
Norfolk Raymondville Food Pantry