As board members of the Cooperstown Food Pantry, we are committed to its mission to address issues of poverty and hunger in Otsego County. We need to let you know that our community, and our country, is facing a dangerous threat: Food insecurity is rising, and proposed cuts to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and other nutrition programs will make a bad situation much worse.
The current administration abruptly canceled U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that offered US grown food to food banks at low or no cost, as well as programs that enabled pantries and schools to purchase food from local farmers. These actions not only increase the cost of the food we need to do our essential work but cut income for farmers. The Regional Food Bank in Latham, the source for much of the Cooperstown Food Pantry’s food, estimates that it has lost access to a million pounds of food already this year due to these cuts. This translates to 750,000 meals, gone.
The budget bill before Congress would further increase food insecurity by cutting more than $1 trillion from essential safety net programs over the next 10 years. The proposed $295 million in cuts to SNAP would cause an estimated 3 million Americans to lose these benefits, and for millions more to face benefit reductions.
SNAP is a proven, cost-effective program that reduces food insecurity, and supports the health of children, older adults, and veterans. SNAP reduces healthcare costs, improves educational outcomes, and supports local economies. The bill also recommends $700 million in cuts to Medicaid, which will throw 7.6 million Americans off Medicaid, further imperiling the health of Americans and threatening the viability of local hospitals.
Please contact Congress to let them know you support SNAP and programs that provide US grown food to Americans in need. Investing in hunger prevention and relief is essential.
According to Feeding America, there are 7,670 food insecure people in Otsego County, 12.8% of the population. For many, an unexpected car repair or medical expense can mean there is just not enough to put food on the table. On average, each month the Cooperstown Food Pantry serves more than 200 households, providing more than 700 people with five days of food each month. This is up 25% from 2023 when we served an average of 164 households/549 people each month.
The impulse to help neighbors in need is what led Ellen St. John to start the Food Pantry in 1977. That same impulse continues to guide us at the Cooperstown Food Pantry.
As food prices rise, and federal food and nutrition programs are canceled and threatened, we must rely even more on individual donors. Please be as generous as you can and support the vital work of the Food Pantry. Join the Pantry as a volunteer. Even a few hours a month will make a difference, and you will be a part of a solution that strengthens our community. And, please call your Representative and Senators to let them know that cuts to the country’s social safety net must be stopped.
Importantly, if you are hungry and need some help, please call the Food Pantry, 607/547-8902. These are difficult and challenging times, but the Food Pantry, with the help and generosity of many, will continue its vital role in helping those in need.
Carol Beechy
Rose Craine
Andrew Demma
Maryann Dietz
Cathy Fasanelli
Kathleen Gozigian
Jennifer Howard, ex-officio
Will Kleffner, executive director
Carolyn Lewis
Angus Mackie
Karen Mihan
Audrey Murray
Maureen Murray
Sharon Oberriter, board president
Peg Odell
John A. Rudy
Stacey Smith
William Waller
This letter to the editor first appeared in The Freeman’s Journal, June 19, 2025.
