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As February settles in, we are grateful for our community. The winter months can be especially difficult for neighbors facing food insecurity, and your contributions help keep our shelves stocked and programs running strong.
Because of you, we were able to provide more than 5.1 million meals to over 114,000 people in the Capital Region in 2025.
| | Meet our Platinum Pantries! | | |
These pantries have achieved Platinum status through our Healthy Pantry Initiative (HPI), recognizing organizations that go above and beyond to promote client choice and expand access to food.
Introduced in 2025, the Platinum level highlights pantries that offer enhanced services, including options such as home deliveries, to better meet neighbors where they are.
We’re proud to recognize:
- Arbor Hill
- CoNSERNS-U
- Faith Baptist Church Food Pantry
- First Church
- Franklin Community Center Food Pantry
- Hope 7 Food Pantry
- Roarke Center Food Pantry
- Trinity Alliance–South End Food Pantry
Thank you for your continued dedication to serving your communities with care and dignity.
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Registration for Hunger Heroes 2026 is still OPEN!
Join us as we kick off Capital Region CANstruction—rally your friends and family to take part in this impactful food and fund drive. Together, we can strengthen our CANstruction world ranking while making a meaningful difference right here in our local community.
More info and sign up here!
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Save the Date for our Annual Coffee & CommuniTea Volunteer Appreciation Event - Thursday, April 23 - 7:30-9:30am
April is volunteer appreciation month! Save the date for our annual volunteer and community partner recognition breakfast. We'll be gathering again at the Shaker Ridge Country Club for what is always a morning of inspiration and gratitude. We hope to see you there!
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Join us for Food Stock 14!
A concert to benefit The Food Pantries for the Capital District on Sunday, March 1 at Rustic Barn Pub in Troy. Come for the music, leave knowing you’ve helped fight hunger.
For more details, click here.
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Welcome to our newest team member! | |
Meet AJ Cote, the newest member of our team and our Chief Advancement Officer!
Born and raised on the MA/NY border, AJ has spent the last 15 years working in the nonprofit sector with a focus on dignity, community, and care. While in college, he helped create a holistic food security program aimed at addressing the root causes of hunger.
AJ is excited to join The Food Pantries because hunger is personal and local to him, and he believes food is one of the most powerful ways communities take care of one another.
AJ is looking forward to meeting everyone. Please feel free to reach out via phone 518-458-1167 ext 110 or via email at acote@thefoodpantries.org
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Meet Clare, one of our amazing volunteers who helps make our mission possible!
We asked Clare why she volunteers:
“I am one of nine children, and my dad worked two jobs for many years to support our family. I experienced food insecurity growing up, so knowing this organization is here for families and individuals who need support is incredibly meaningful to me. I feel strongly about helping families so they don’t have to experience food insecurity.”
Something you might not know about her:
She bowled and played softball well into her adult years.
Thank you, Clare, for your dedication, energy, and heart!
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Last fall, Whole Foods Market generously donated a refurbished van to The Food Pantries' fleet.
This new van supports our Food Shuttle program, rescuing excess produce, bread, and other products from grocery stores across the region and getting them onto the shelves of our member pantries.
Our Whole Foods Market van has so far rescued over 5,000 pounds of food - thank you, Whole Foods Market, for helping us feed our community!
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Huge thanks to Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York for donating thousands of pounds of food to support our community.
This incredible contribution came from the creativity, teamwork, and dedication on display at the annual Girls CAN Do Build in collaboration with Capital Region CANstruction.
We’re proud to partner with an organization that’s making a real impact in the fight against hunger.
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We also want to give a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in the Food Fight Comedy Show on Saturday, February 7. Together, you helped raise $1,225, which translates to an incredible 7,656.25 pounds of food—that’s thousands of meals for our neighbors facing hunger.
Your generosity and energy made a real, tangible difference, and we couldn’t be more grateful.
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There are many ways to make a difference this winter.
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Give: Your financial gift directly supports families in need
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Collect: Organize a food and fund drive with your workplace, school, or community group
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Volunteer: Lend a hand at a local pantry or event. Every minute counts!
Want to volunteer? Contact our outreach engagement manager, Curtis LeClair, via email at CLeClair@thefoodpantries.org.
| | We love hearing from you! If a pantry has made a difference for you, your family, or someone you know, send us a short story or quote. We’ll feature a few in next month’s newsletter so everyone can see the impact of our community working together. | | |
We greatly appreciate your support and participation in our work to end hunger in the Capital District. Please visit our website - thefoodpantries.org - to learn more about volunteering, donating, or hosting a food drive to benefit The Food Pantries.
Together we can do more than any one of us alone!
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