Comfort Food Community

Comfort Food Community (CFC) is a non-profit organization which was formed in 2014, but whose roots date back to 1986 when it began operation as an Emergency Relief Committee. As a Regional Food Bank Certified Organization, the mission of the food center is to leverage the community’s physical and social resources to eliminate food insecurity. CFC operates food pantries in both Greenwich and Cossayuna, New York. The Greenwich Food Pantry is located at 2530 Route 40 in Greenwich, NY, and is open weekly on Mondays from 4pm to 7pm and Wednesdays from 9am to 11am & 4pm to 7pm. The Cossayuna Food Pantry, at 21 Bunker Hill Road in Cossayuna, NY, is open on Tuesdays from 3:30pm to 5:30 pm.

CFC provides food access in a variety of ways. In 2022, CFC distributed over half a million pounds of food. In addition to the food pantries, they have a supplemental student nutrition program. This provides additional meals on weekends and breaks for students who rely on free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch during the school week. In 2022, CFC began the Farm-2-School program which facilitates the purchase of New York State food by local school districts. In its first year, the program delivered more than 90,000 pounds of food to participating schools.

CFC has created a program to bring fresh food to people through the Farm-2-Library program, which began in 2017. CFC works with 11 libraries to provide open access to fresh produce. This program is an example of how they work to break down individual and systemic barriers to fresh, local food access.

Crandall Library, in Glens Falls, NY has participated in the Farm-2-Library program since June of 2022. This program is made possible through a partnership with the Southern Adirondack Library System, Comfort Food Community, and Glens Falls Hospital. The Health Promotion Center of Glens Falls Hospital provided grant funding to purchase the refrigerator, produce bins and recyclable bags.

Every Thursday, Crandall Library receives a delivery of fresh produce, which is available to anyone on a first come, first served basis. Each delivery is unique. However, they tend to follow local growing patterns: fresh greens in late spring; tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant in high summer; and hearty greens in the fall. There are also carrots and potatoes throughout the winter. The refrigerator for this program is located in the ‘New & Popular’ section of the library on the first floor of the Glen Street entrance.

The food provided by the Farm-2-Library program is free of charge to the community. The program has goals to reduce food waste, address the issues of food access and insecurity, and reconnect individuals with the abundance of resources that libraries have to offer.

Guinevere Forshey is the Assistant Director at Crandall Library and she runs the library’s Farm-2-Library program. “This program is really for everybody. People who are looking to try something new, people with food insecurities, people who want to make healthy choices. We get a lot of really interesting things from the farms, and there are receipts that are provided to help people utilize the foods that they may not be familiar with,” said Forshey.

Libraries have evolved beyond just books to become places where people gain access to services. “The impetus behind the original grant was the thought that people in need, especially with food insecurity, need other services too. So they are coming to the library for other reasons, they need other support. So putting services in one location makes them more readily available for people to use, ” explained Forshey. She also witnesses first-hand the community being created. “It’s nice to see the connections that are being made. There is a core group of people that come and they are becoming friends. They talk about receipts. The program is creating community.”

Comfort Food Community has increased access to food beyond the traditional food pantry. Their work has provided food throughout Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties. They work with more than 40 local farms to provide food to 11 libraries, participate in two local farmers markets, and support programs related to food access, food recovery and food as health. CFC currently has 12 staff members, an active board of directors and a large group of volunteers. For more information about Comfort Food Community please visit ComfortFoodCommunity.org