Food‑bank officials tell Warren County of rising need, call for donations and volunteers

Sue Litner, chief advocacy officer for the Regional Food Bank, briefed the board during Hunger Action Month, outlining the food bank’s role in aggregating and redistributing food across a 23‑county service area and urging residents to donate and volunteer. Litner said the food bank and its network provided "just about 1,500,000 meals" last year and cited an estimate of "8,200" people in Warren County who are food insecure.

Kim Sopcich, executive director of Family Service Association, said her agency saw a 25% increase in people requesting food since July 1 and estimated that roughly 30% of recent visitors were first‑time pantry users. A representative from North Country Ministry described a 6% increase in households using its pantries and said the number of people served had risen by about 11%.

Speakers asked the board to continue supporting local pantries and to promote donations and volunteerism during Hunger Action Month. The presenters emphasized partnerships between the food bank and local agencies to reach homebound and rural residents.