When you think of the struggles of poverty, who do you picture? Where do they live?
The problem in Central New York is growing by leaps and bounds but almost no one talks about it. Poverty is not just a Syracuse city issue; it’s increasingly affecting suburban areas.
The crisis is highlighted by the growing demand at Heaven’s Pantry in Minoa. The monthly pantry operates out of the Minoa Methodist Church. Susan Dodge, who has been volunteering at the pantry for 47 years, said, “I don’t see this ever getting better; it’s only getting worse.” The pantry, which helps as many as 85 families a month, has seen a 56% increase in demand over the last five years, according to the Food Bank of Central New York.
The situation is dire, with stories emerging of people resorting to eating cat food due to delays in social security. Heaven’s Pantry helps one family of 17 people. Four adults, the rest children. Donna Dodge of Heaven’s Pantry emphasized the importance of the work, saying, “If we were not here, people would struggle more! Kids would go hungry. We’ve seen it before.”
In the East Syracuse Minoa school district, 12.7% of school-aged children live in poverty, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census. Meghan Thomas, director of youth development and leadership at ES-M, remains optimistic about educational outcomes for these children, saying children in poverty can have excellent educational outcomes at ES-M. “100%,” she said. She credits the support from her counseling staff and social service agencies embedded in the school system for making a difference.
Every ESM cafeteria has a “Share Table” near the exit. Students can leave things they choose not to eat for others. “One, you are eliminating waste. Two, you are giving something to a peer who might not always have what they need,” Thomas said.
All students at ESM schools have access to free breakfast and lunch. The district sees that as a welcome change from the days of requiring families to sign up and prove financial hardship. However, it may be a double-edged sword. While some families do still sign up, and the district encourages it because it can open the door for other financial breaks, it likely skews another data point to track poverty.
Despite these efforts, the Trump administration’s decision to halt the release of annual household food security reports has raised concerns among food banks and agencies about tracking and addressing the needs of poor children. The administration called the reports “redundant, costly and ‘subjective, liberal fodder.'”
