Poverty and hunger highlighted in Dutchess County

from Mid-Hudson News

Poughkeepsie -- When most people talk about Dutchess County, very few think about poverty and homelessness, but it is a problem and many are making the effort this Thanksgiving season to help raise awareness.

It is estimated that over 2,000 people are homeless in Dutchess. One soup kitchen manager Monday said he feeds just over 200 people on any given day of the year, and expects the numbers to rise.

“Some people work, but they don’t make a livable wage. Some people pay rent, but they can’t pay for food. So for a lot of people this is their only meal a day,” said Dutchess Outreach Lunch Box manager Ralph Rogers.

To raise awareness of poverty in the county, and worldwide, students of the Poughkeepsie Farm Project at the Vassar College Farm donated crates of vegetables from the farm to the Lunch Box.

A couple dozen crates of squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuces, and many greens were delivered to the kitchen Monday afternoon as part of the fifth annual Hunger Awareness Fast at Vassar College.

Rogers said that added charity during the holidays is great, but there needs to be more of a year-round effort to help these people on a daily basis.

“A lot of people want to volunteer this time of the year more than other times. I can understand because of the holidays and you get the spirit, but this is a problem year-round, and I try to explain that to people when they come in. We always need volunteers.”

Vassar College students conducted their annual Hunger Awareness Fast.

Dutchess Outreach will be holding a dinner at the Lunch Box, located behind the Family Partnership Center on North Hamilton Street in the City of Poughkeepsie, all day Thanksgiving Day for anyone looking for a charity meal this holiday.