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Sullivan Fresh reports rising demand: '700 plus people a week' and funding shortfalls threaten service
Summary
Martin Colavito of the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard told the committee the food-delivery program serves more than 700 people per week countywide, emergency calls have doubled recently, and federal funding cuts and storage capacity limits put the program's sustainability at risk.
Martin Colavito of the Sullivan Fresh Community Cupboard described rapidly rising need in Sullivan County and told the Government Services committee the program is stretched thin. "We're delivering to 700 plus people a week in the county," Colavito said, adding that emergency calls have doubled in the last three months and that the group aims to deliver food within 24 hours to anyone who calls for help.
Colavito warned that higher rents, utility increases and federal funding cuts have reduced capacity. He said the cupboard cannot store or process substantially more food without additional funding or space and outlined local fundraising efforts, including a planned 44-mile walk to solicit sponsorships. Committee members asked whether people were misusing the service and how donations could be routed to neighborhood pickup points; Colavito said the main constraint is storage and resource capacity rather than recipient misuse.
The committee agreed the cupboard's statistics and funding needs merit follow-up; no immediate county funding decision was made at the meeting.
