Food Bank of the Southern Tier tells Chemung County leaders demand and funding pressures are rising; four routine resolutions approved

Sarah DeFrank, director of policy, programs and partnerships at the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, told county officials that requests for food in Chemung County rose in 2024 and described how federal, state and private grants offset costs for local pantry partners.

"So I'm Sarah DeFrank. I'm from the Food Bank of the Southern Tier," DeFrank said as she opened a roughly 20-minute presentation to the county meeting. She outlined program capacity in Chemung County, grant sources and risks tied to proposed SNAP and Medicaid changes.

DeFrank said the food bank's 2024 service in Chemung included 16 pantries, five meal sites and one shelter; three school food centers; 20 backpack programs; eight mobile food pantries; five senior mobile pantries; and 11 retail partners engaged in grocery rescue. She said the food bank distributed about 1,600,000 pounds of food in the service area and used a conversion of 1.2 pounds per meal to estimate total meals served.

DeFrank presented estimated fiscal values for 2024 and said the food bank counts both food and nonfood support when…