Food Assistance Programs

Making ends meet during difficult times can be easier with help from the right programs and other community resources. Cornell Cooperative Extension works with many local food assistance programs to help families, individuals and seniors find and access food resources that best meet their needs.

Eat Smart NY! - Eat Smarty New York Nutrition Education is FREE to all individuals who qualify for and/or receive benefit through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP). The program provides skill-based nutrition education classes and sponsors obesity prevention events in local communities on a variety of topics like: healthy eating on a budget, smart shopping for vegetables and fruit, healthy meal planning, basic cooking and food safety skills, weight control and phyical activity. The goals of the Eat Smart New York program are to:

Eat more fruits and vegetables
Drink less sugar-sweetened beverages
Exercise more and balance calories eaten as part of a healthy lifestyle

Daily Food Pantries & Community Meals:

Meals on Wheels provides home-delivered meals-on-wheels, community center meals, nutrition assessments, nutrition counseling, and help applying for SNAP benefits (formerly Food Stamps) for older adults and other persons.

Regional Food Bank distributes food and other grocery products to member agencies that then serve people in need, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other hunger relief organizations in Schoharie and Otsego Counties.

GLEANING PROGRAMS rescues fresh nutritious food from stores, restaurants and farms that would be thrown away and redistributes it to food pantries and community feeding sites where it reaches people in need.

MyBenefits.Gov - New York State residents can visit this web site to find out if you are eligible for help through SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), Nutrition Education, Temporary Assistance, HEAP, WIC, School Meals and Summer Meal Programs.

SNAP - (formerly Food Stamp) benefits help low-income working people, seniors, the disabled and others feed their families. The USDA’s SNAP-Ed connection web site provides great tips and resources. Choose from: Healthy Eating on a Budget, 10 Steps to Help fill your grocery bag, Ways to Manage Your Food Dollars and more at: http://snap.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/eat-right-when-moneys-tight .

The SNAP-to-Market website helps you find NY Farmers' Markets where you can use your SNAP benefits (formerly Food Stamps) and explains how to make Farmers' Market purchases with them. You'll also find information on when fruits and vegetables are in-season at your market, and recipes to use with produce you buy.

WIC - the Women, Infants & Children’s Supplemental Food Program provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, and referrals to community services for low-income pregnant and post-partum women and their children under five years of age. Breastfeeding support is available. Find out if you are eligible for WIC, see a schedule of monthly WIC clinics in locations around Schoharie and Otsego Counties, and other WIC resources on this website.

Ask us about our educational events and classes in Schoharie County or Otsego County! Our goal is to help families and households stretch their food dollars, make healthier choices, and eat better for less!