Food Insecurity in Ulster County and the Hudson Valley
Food insecurity, the lack of consistent access to enough nutritious food for a healthy, active life, remains a pressing challenge across New York State. According to Feeding America, nearly 2.8 million New Yorkers experience food insecurity, including over 750,000 children.
In the Hudson Valley, food insecurity affects a significant number of households, with some families facing difficult choices between buying groceries or paying rent, medical care, and other essential expenses.
Ulster County: Local Data
Recent data from Map the Meal Gap shows that Ulster County continues to experience high rates of food insecurity:
- 24,080 residents (13.2% of the population) are food insecure
- 4,630 children (14.6%) are affected
- The county faces an annual food budget shortfall of $17.7 million
Even with support from food assistance programs, many households remain vulnerable: approximately 60,000 residents are food insecure despite some form of help, and 75,000 residents are food insecure without any assistance.
Access to Healthy Foods
Access to healthy food remains a challenge in Ulster County. About 6.1% of residents live in low-income areas without close access to a grocery store, according to the Mid-Hudson Region Community Health Assessment (2025). Local nonprofits, food pantries, and community programs work tirelessly to fill these gaps and ensure families have access to fresh, nutritious options.
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Source, Mid-Hudson Region Community Health Assessment 2025
Regional Support
In 2023, 3.8 million pounds of food were distributed to Ulster County residents through regional food banks. These efforts are critical to keeping families fed and supporting community health.
Supporting Families Through School Meals
The Universal School Meals law now ensures that all students in New York State receive free breakfast and lunch, providing more than 2.5 million free meals each school day. Families save an estimated $165 per child per month, helping households stretch their food budgets while children benefit from improved learning, attendance, and overall well-being.
Local at Heart Supports These Local Food Needs
Family of New Paltz | St Joseph’s Food Pantry | Helping Hands Food Pantry of St Charles Borromeo Church in Gardiner | Rondout Valley Food Pantry | Rosendale Food Pantry | New Paltz Rotary and New Paltz School District Backpack Program | Family of Ellenville | Our Lady of Fatima Church Plattekill | New Paltz United Methodist Church
Did you know…
In 2021, the Food Bank of Hudson Valley distributed 49,877,444 pounds of food throughout 23 counties of New York, the equivalent of 41.6 million meals.
– Food Bank of Hudson Valley 2021 Impact Report
The New Paltz Rotary’s Backpack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children on weekends, when other resources are not available. The program provides backpacks filled with food that is child-friendly, shelf-stable, and easily-consumed. Bags are packed each week by school staff and discreetly distributed to participating children every Friday afternoon.
For the 2022-2023 school year, the club provided 2,342 backpacks, distributing a total of 18,360 meals that supplied ~70 students each week.
– www.newpaltzrotary.com
633,790 children in New York lived in food-insecure households in 2021.
– Feeding America, Map The Meal Gap, Food Insecurity among Child Population in New York
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that one in every seven Ulster County residents lives in poverty.
The New York State Education Department reported that in the 2020-2021 academic year, 47% of students enrolled in public schools were categorized as ‘economically disadvantaged.’
– Addressing Food Insecurity in Ulster County, Chelsea Villalba (2022)
Food pantries served a staggering half million meals last year and it’s not enough to meet the need in our area. Hunger is an invisible epidemic and the hungry are not strangers — they are, in fact, all around you.
Many think hunger is not their problem. Actually, it’s everyone’s concern. Incredibly, pantries are even opening on military bases and colleges. Can you imagine soldiers risking their lives yet their families go hungry?
Many users of food pantries are working people just like you. After paying rent, heat, electricity bills, many are forced to consider pantries as a last resort. That’s because sadly, food is a lower priority than shelter!
The need is great yet New York State’s allocation to pantries is $16 million short in keeping pantries stocked!
