DVIDS – Information – Fort Drum working group addresses meals insecurity, increasing sources

Fort Drum, NY (March four, 2025)- When the Group Motion Planning Council (CAPC) turns into the cellular meals pantry on Fort Drum on March 17, would be the results of the concerted efforts of organizations within the publish and out of setting to supply navy households expanded entry to meals help.

Fort Drum’s meals insecurity group was shaped in November 2023 as a Meddac effort and has grown its membership, together with well being representatives and holistic health (H2F), the soldier division and household preparation, homes of the mountain neighborhood and youngsters’s and youth providers, amongst others. Outdoors publish companions embrace Capc, Meals Financial institution of Central New York, Feed Our Vets and Cornell Cooperative Extension.

“Our working group is a collaboration effort directed by Meddac (exercise of the US Military Drugs Division) that works with organizations in posts and out of publication to determine meals insecurity in our neighborhood of Fort Drum,” stated Captain Kimberly Whitbeck, head of Vitamin of the Meddac-Fort battery. “We work collectively to fill any vacancy and develop meals sources throughout the door.”

Because the co-leader working group, Whitbeck and Lisa Proulx, well being nurse of the inhabitants of Meddac, helped set up the primary month-to-month place of Pantry Cellular Meals Pantry of Capc in Leray, devoted to drums and household troopers of Fort Drum.

“Now, after working with Fort Drum Garrison Leads, CapC acquired approval to carry the cellular meals pantry to the set up,” Whitbeck stated. “Organizations similar to Fort Drum Soldier and Household Readiness Division have been basic to work behind the scene to carry this to the ultimate phases.”

The cellular meals pantry is scheduled to be within the Rhicard Hills Group Middle, from 10 to 11:30 am, and the Adirondack Creek Group Middle, from 12:30 to 2 pm, March 17. The third Monday of every month will return.

“We’re going to guarantee that the households that come to our applications know this useful resource, and we’ll advertise on social networks,” stated Amanda Mason, Drum Drum’s Soldier Chief and head of the Household Preparation Division.

Mason stated they need to emphasize that every one those that qualify for the CAPC (troopers, household staff and retirees) can make the most of cellular meals pantry within the publish.

“A key issue that we contemplate have been the places, so it may be simpler for households to get what they want and never must journey far,” stated Mason. “After which we additionally wished to guarantee that it was out there throughout lunch hours, so the troopers and civilians of the Division of Protection should not lacking this chance on account of their work.”

Caroline Feasler, director of the CAPC Household Middle, stated that people who find themselves already registered in this system can obtain their personalised order when the cellular meals pantry is within the publish. All others will obtain a pre -inated meals bag as a pattern of what’s supplied to registered individuals and households. So long as they’re there, they’ll register to obtain a customized meals pack for the next month.

For extra info, name (315) 782-4900 (ext. 221), or go to www.capcjc.org.

Fort Drum’s second -hand retailer has lengthy saved a free neighborhood blessing field with non -perishable meals, private hygiene gadgets and different wants, however the employees just lately transformed a navy clothes room right into a meals pantry.

“We’ve individuals who come to make use of the blessing field commonly,” stated Jasmine Carpena, retailer supervisor. “So, between my workforce and I, we had all the time wished to see if we might do that larger and assist extra individuals.”

That they had no bother filling the cabinets after receiving some well timed contributions throughout the holidays.

“It was across the Thanksgiving final yr when a unit, the 2-14 (2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment), 2nd Brigade Fight, arrived and donated greater than four,000 non-perishable meals,” stated Amy Schardt, chair of the board of the exhaustion retailer. “After which we received a handful of different donations from some organizations.”

Schardt stated they’re exploring concepts to maintain meals pantry, similar to meals impulse group.

“I believe that the incorporation of meals pantry may be very properly adjusted to all our initiatives to offer again to the neighborhood,” he stated. “Along with the second -hand retailer, we have now scholarships for navy college students and the neighborhood subsidies program.”

Each Schardt and Carpena symbolize the second -hand retailer within the Fort Drum Meals Insecurity Working Group.

“This working group got here on the good second as a result of we had this plan to open the meals pantry and wished to get entangled in serving to the neighborhood extra,” Carpena stated.

Schardt stated the working group has been a productive option to share sources and join with organizations that may assist one another.

The pantry of blessings is open from 10:30 am to four:45 pm, on the primary Wednesday of every month contained in the second-hand retailer, Bldg. P-1454 in Fourth Road M.

For extra info, go to https://fortdrumthriftshop.com.

Whitbeck stated the Meddac-Fort drum was related to Cornell Cooperative Extension to permit medical and dietitian suppliers in posts to ship troopers and households to the North Nation merchandise prescription program.

Also called the fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVRX), eligible members of the neighborhood attend preventive dietary training workshops and obtain coupons to purchase recent merchandise.

The target of this system is to assist individuals be taught new and wholesome methods to eat extra vegatables and fruits to cut back the dangers of meals insecurity and continual food plan -related illnesses. Cornell Cooperative Extension just lately expanded the reference capability to any well being and welfare supplier or social providers that assist troopers and their households, and members of the area people as properly.

“We’ve a number of references month-to-month, however we understand that there could also be a stigma concerned with troopers on the lookout for assist,” Whitbeck stated. “We’d love that different teams take part and supply this profit to troopers and household in a doubtlessly extra promising setting than their medical care supplier or vitamin quotes within the clinic.”

To that finish, the Fort Drum preparation division has just lately been granted and the authority to make references has just lately been granted.

“The fruits and vegetable program is a superb manner that will help you feed your loved ones, or your self, higher,” stated Nicole Wetzel, Fort Drum Household Devocacy Household Growth Educator. “All of us need to eat more healthy, however it could be fairly costly to do it. So, if we will take away a little bit of that burden in order that it may be a more healthy individual or have a more healthy household, we need to assist do it. ”

Wetzel stated that references could be made inside every SFRD division, together with the emergency aid of the military, the distinctive program of members of the family and the worker help program.

“This shall be an ideal profit while you consider all of the applications concerned and in all of the individuals we work with,” he stated. “An impediment is eliminated during which individuals could not suppose. And it’s best which you could actually go to anybody in these two buildings (Household Sources Middle and Troopers and Household Preparation Middle) and discover assist. “

Wetzel stated that SFRD professionals are sometimes within the place during which they’ll recommend this extra useful resource, both throughout a finances planning session of monetary preparation, or in a elevating or delicacies class of the household protection program.

“I believe this may solely make the fruit and vegetable recipe program extra accessible to individuals,” stated Wetzel. “And anyway, we will make it simpler for them and eradicate any hesitation to ask for assist, it is only a nice step in the appropriate path.”

For extra details about the Fort Drum SfRD, go to www.fb.com/fortdrumsfrd and https://residence.military.mil/drum/my-fort/all-ervices/soldier-family-readiness-division.

Whitbeck stated they’re engaged on an affiliation between CAPC and set up chaplains to coordinate emergency meals containers for troopers and needy navy households. As well as, the Fort Drum Meals Sources Information has been up to date with 2025 info and is out there by way of the QR code (see photograph gallery). The digital brochure affords a whole listing of monetary sources and native meals out there within the publish and within the Tri-County space.

“All these tasks are a direct results of the teams that be a part of with ardour for serving to our neighborhood,” stated Whitbeck. “Our efforts will proceed to coach extra completely, share sources and observe the usage of new sources to find out future wants.”