Linda Davis and her husband don’t get out much.
“If Phoenix and Baldwinsville fell off the map, I’d be gone,” Davis said. “I really don’t leave the area.”
The couple is also on a fixed income. That’s why, for the last 20 years, they’ve taken advantage of the Food Bank of Central New York’s Food $en$e program, a monthly food distribution program for individuals and families who want help stretching their monthly food budget, like the Davises. Once a month, people who want to participate sign up at the host site near their home, pre-paying $15.50 in cash or food stamps for the food package. Later in the month, when the food package is ready to be picked up, the customers return to the same site for their delivery.
While Davis still buys groceries at Wegmans and BJs and frequents local farmers’ markets, the Food $en$e program helps supplement her and her husband’s grocery budget.
“It’s convenient and it’s helpful,” Davis said. “And it helps us out a lot.”
Moreover, the program has no income guidelines.
-Canton Woods Senior Center, 76 Canton St., Baldwinsville. Contact: Avis Neupert, 638-4536.
-Central Square Community Church, 833 Route 11, Central Square. Contact: Linda House; 676-2898.
-American Legion Post, Legion Drive, Chittenango. Contact: Vicki Cain, 687-5368, or Barbara Schwitter, 687-9068.
-People in Action, Town of DeWitt, 5400 Butternut Drive, East Syracuse. Contact: Megan Ball, 446-9250 ext. 127.
-Catholic Charities, Salina Civic Center, 2826 LeMoyne Ave., Mattydale. Contact: Pat Campany, 424-1810 ext. 12.
-Luther Memorial Church, 435 S. Main St., North Syracuse. Contact: Judy Eyer, 458-1481.
-Karing Kitchen, 226 Farrier Ave., Oneida. Contact: Melissa King, 761-8135.
-First Congregational Church, 43 Bridge St., Phoenix. Contact: Roberta Daly, 715-4444.
-Huntington Family Center, 405 Gifford St., Syracuse. Contact: La Shaun Jones, 410-0308.
-St. Mark’s Church, Syracuse/West Side, 1612 W. Genesee St., Syracuse. Contact: Barry Guinn, 488-8511.
-St. Leo’s Church, 10 Onondaga St., Tully. Contact: Jeannie Crouse, 696-5092.
“They didn’t ask about how much money I made,” Davis said. “Anybody could get it.”
Andrew Katzer, the Food Bank’s food services director, runs the Food $en$e program. Katzer said the initiative is meant to help people stretch their grocery budgets, not necessarily replace trips to the store.
“We help them save money on the staples and the things they’re looking for,” he said. “It’s meant to be a supplement. For some individuals, especially seniors, they can do this and be fine. There are no rules. You can buy four or five packages. It works well. I like it because it’s very simple. You can buy as little or as many as you want. There’s no obligation.”
Each package contains 12 items: four to five protein or mean items, like boneless skinless chicken breasts, fish filets or packages of Italian sausage; four to five staple items such as boxes of spaghetti, cans of tuna or cans of soup; two pieces of in-season fresh produce like grape tomatoes or blueberries; during the colder months, it might be bagged salad mix or baby carrots. Finally, there are specialty items that goes along with that month’s theme.
“We have a theme each month,” Katzer said. “One month it might be Italian. We might build a package around grilling. At the holidays, we’ll do a Thanksgiving or Christmas package. Everything that goes in the package will work around that theme.”
And it’s all high-quality, brand name food, according to Megan Ball, distribution coordinator for the Food $ense program at People in Action in the town of DeWitt.
“One of the really nice things is that you’re getting good-quality food,” Ball said. “It’s not day-old, it’s not scratch-and-dent. It’s not a free giveaway. You’re purchasing food, so you’re still supporting yourself.”
The total value of the basket is more like $30 or more, but the Food Bank is able to offer the package at a much lower price.
“The cost of food is very expensive. You know that as a consumer,” Katzer said. “But we have more buying power than the average consumer, and we can pass that savings on to our customers. We’re not a retail store. We don’t have to pay employees or overhead. Our goal is to connect people with food.”
And for more than 20 years, the Food Bank has been able to do so for just $15.50 a package.
“One of the things we’ve been battling for the last 20 years is the rising cost of food. But the price of the package hasn’t changed since we started the program,” Katzer said. “Everything has gone up. But we’ve done some restructuring and some creative internal things to keep it at $15.50, and we’re very proud of that.”
Those rising costs have forced people to be more creative with their grocery budgets. Katzer said Food $en$e is a great way to help in that regard.
“A lot of people think that since it’s a program run through the Food Bank, it’s a program for someone else or they’re taking away someone else’s opportunity. That’s not true,” he said. “Everyone can participate. In fact, the more people who get involved, the more buying power we have. It’s for anyone who wants to save money on groceries. Teachers use it. Nurses use it. I use it. There’s no income restrictions, no age restrictions.”
Ball said it’s an ideal program for people who might not be able to use other services.
“If you don’t qualify to go to a pantry, it’s a really nice way for anyone to get a little extra help,” she said. “There’s no income restrictions. You’re not taking food away from someone else. You can use it if you’re interested.”
To learn more about Food $en$e, visit foodbankcny.org/get-help/community-services/food-sense.
