Current Newsletter

What does FRCM do? Who does it serve?

Meet your neighbors,  Ron and Cathy


The Foothills Rural Community Ministry (FRCM) has been serving the towns and villages of northeastern Oneida County for more than 30 years, but still, not everybody knows what we do. We thought it would be helpful to introduce you to some of your neighbors whose lives are made a little easier through FRCM’s programs.

Cathy and Ron are a retired couple living a few miles outside the village of Holland Patent. They both went to high school here and got married shortly after graduation. They moved around the country but returned home after Ron retired from the Marines. Their son started a family of his own and Ron and Cathy started to picture what it would be like in their “golden years”. They built a tidy little home and were able to upgrade to a more reliable SUV. They both held down part time jobs to supplement Ron’s pension. Money was tight but life was good. 

Friends invited the couple to a low cost night on the town at The Park Coffee House. The coffee house is held in the community room of the First Presbyterian Church, aka Twin Churches, and features the best local and regional performers for a modest admission with refreshments available for a donation. All proceeds go to support the Food Pantry and Cathy and Ron liked the idea of keeping their money local while supporting a good cause. Check out ParkCoffeeHouse on Facebook for a listing of upcoming performances.

Ron has helped FRCM for years by volunteering to help with the Christmas Basket Program. This year, 704 community members from 205 families received at least one box of food and each child got a toy and an article of winter clothing along with handmade hats and mittens. Donations for next year need to be turned in by December 3rd. For questions or to sign up, please call 315-865-5558 or leave a message with your contact information at 315-865-5854 on or before Nov. 11, 2023. The 2023 basket distribution will take place again at the Twin Churches on Dec. 9. As a reminder, we have an ongoing bottle and can drive at Pops (Old Cushman’s) on Route 365 in Floyd. Just tell the attendant that you are donating to FRCM.

In a twist of fate, Ron and Cathy ended up getting custody of their grandchildren. The couple was grateful to have the children with them but raising teenagers gets expensive fast when your budget now has to stretch to cover food, clothes, sports, band and more. They started taking advantage of the Food Sense Program where anybody can purchase a “unit” containing the equivalent of 2-3 meals for a family of 4 for just $20.50 along with a variety of high quality monthly specials at low cost. Email FoothillsFoodSense@gmail.com for more information or check out FoothillsRuralCommunityMinistry on Facebook for the monthly order form.

Cathy realized they met the income requirements to take advantage of the monthly Food Pantry program and a confidential intake volunteer helped them determine eligibility. Once signed up they were invited to fill out a shopping list providing each family member with up to 3 meals per day for 5 days. The pantry is available to residents within specific areas of Deerfield, Floyd, Marcy, Remsen, Russia, Trenton, Steuben and Western and address verification for anyone 18 and older is required. The Food Pantry is generally open the first three Saturdays, the first Wednesday, and the fourth Thursday of every month, but check facebook or foothillsruralcommunityministry.org for the latest updates as days/hours do occasionally vary.

FRCM also made sure Cathy and Ron got referrals to other agencies’ programs they qualified for such as food stamps and heating assistance. 

Since the youngest grandchild showed up with a kitten “that followed her home”, Sarah’s Pet Pantry is there to provide appropriate, healthy pet food. This program hopes to resume the spay/neuter vouchers in the near future.

Cathy dropped in to the Country Corner Thrift Shop to get some jeans and shoes for the kids and some extra dishes. The Thrift Shop accepts donations of gently used clothing and housewares and offers seasonal apparel at very low prices including bag sales where you pay just a few dollars for an entire bag of clothing. The Thrift Shop is generally open the same hours as the Food Pantry  but check out Facebook at Country-Corner-Thrift-Shop for updates.

The volunteers let Cathy know about the back-to-school Back Pack Program that provides a brand new book bag filled with school supplies. The program is accessed through the schools of the Holland Patent and Remsen districts. They also filled her in on the pantry’s Summer Bag Program that provides meals and snacks in July and August when youth aren’t able to access the school’s free and reduced price meals.

Accessing FRCM’s services hasn't been easy for Cathy who has been waiting for a much-needed hip replacement. The stairs prove to be a problem for many of the FRCM’s users as well as the volunteers since the pantry is in the basement while the thrift shop is on the top floor. There are even stairs to the main entrance. Most of our volunteers are retired persons and carrying heavy boxes up and down the stairs is not only difficult, it’s dangerous.

Addressing the problem of handicapped access has been a main concern for the FRCM board and it has been agreed that a new building is needed. Since March of 2022, more than $80,000 has been raised for this purpose and in Phase One, we purchased the parcel of land on Route 365 in Floyd, to the west of Priscilla’s Place. 

This is where you can help. Our goal in Phase Two is to raise $135,000 to level the land, install a driveway with parking lot, and pour the concrete pad base for the pole barn-like structure to be built in Phase Three. We are coming to you and asking if you can help.

Volunteers and food donations are always welcome but right now we are asking for a monetary contribution. If you could find it in your heart to donate whatever you can afford - whether it’s $10, $100, $1,000 - no donation is too big or too small. All donations will help bring the dream of improved community access one step closer to reality.

The FRCM board would like to thank the many individuals and organizations that have donated over the years. We would also like to thank our faithful volunteers, without whom, this work would not be possible. Thank You for your support!


 Programs of Foothills Rural Community Ministry

Food Pantry

Country Corner Thrift Shop

Sarah's Pet Pantry

Christmas Baskets

Park Coffee House

Food Sense Groceries

Back to School Backpack Project

Kids Summer Bags


 

Foothills Rural Community Ministry is a coalition of area churches, people and organizations serving the needy in our rural area of Central New York.  Foothills leases space from the Presbyterian Church for its nonprofit organization.

 

frcmin@gmail.com

PO Box 156, 7835 Church Street

Holland Patent, NY 13354

Located in the First Presbyterian Church House

(twin churches, right side) 

 

Contributions are always needed and appreciated.  Please print out the form below and enclose with any contribution you would like to make to Foothills Rural Community Ministry. Please note in the check memo line what area you'd like to apply your donation to. 

Name:___________________________________

Address:_________________________________

In honor/memory of: _______________________ Amount:________

We also accept donations through PayPal.

 

Monthly Schedule:

Council meetings every 2nd Monday at 7:00 pm

Food Pantry, Sarah’s Pet Pantry, and Country Corner Thrift Shop are open on:

The first 3 Saturdays of every month 9:00 -1:00

The 4th Thursday of every month 9:00 – 11:00

The first Wednesday of every month 3:00 – 6:00

(The Thrift Shop is NOT open on Wednesdays)


    

For more detailed information please visit our website:www.foothillsruralcommunityministry.org

Facebook:  Foothills Rural Community Ministry

Or call the office:  315-865-5854

FRCM, The Country Corner Thrift Shop and The Park Coffee House all have Facebook pages, which are updated regularly with news and volunteer opportunities.

  

Our fall newsletter was mailed in mid-September.  If you would like to be on our mailing list, or removed from our mailing list, please email information to frcmin@gmail.com.

MISSION: Foothills Rural Community Ministry is to respond with care and concern to rural persons and families in need by providing information, assistance and support – and to build a community through our activities.

When we think about ministry, we typically think about those whose needs are not being met, their physical and temporal needs. We think about the hungry, the poor, the sick. Foothills doesn't have much in the way of helping the sick, but a cursory look at our programs can show how we serve the hungry and poor.

The most visible ministry is the food pantry. It is our largest and most costly program. The pantry serves people from the towns of Deerfield, Floyd, Marcy Remsen, Russia, Trenton, Steuben and Western. More than 1350 people were served by our pantry last year. This is a number that has stayed consistent over the last ten years. The folks served can be divided into roughly three groups:

•        1/3 are regular monthly visitors, almost exclusively seniors with low incomes and disabled people. These folks struggle with insufficient fixed incomes. Most are considered “clients for years.”

•        1/3 temporary extenuating circumstances like sickness, loss of job, etc. These folks will be regulars for two to six months, typically three or four visits per year.

•        1/3 catastrophe, one-time visitors. Quite often these folks qualify for longer term help but don't feel deserving or the need to get aid. Typically, these people visit when a car breaks down, a refrigerator dies, etc.

“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”  ~Anne Lamott

MINISTRY: Foothills depends on the community to provide for our neighbors. We do receive grants but most of what we provide comes in the form of donations: time, money, products, services and from businesses, groups and people like you. Community generosity allows us to serve folks outside the margins.

It is important that we serve with dignity. Pantry guests are able to shop for foods that their families will enjoy, having options for proteins, starches and fats that suit individual tastes.

     It is important that our volunteers have the same dignity; serving others is good for our psyches. We try to make it easy for new neighbors to join our ranks and participate however they can. There are opportunities to volunteer every week. The pantry needs folks to work with our clients, unloading food deliveries, carrying up and down stairs, stocking shelves and picking up items from businesses. Programs depend on volunteers. See how you can help today!

 

HUNGER: September was Hunger Action Month. Every month is hunger action at Foothills but it is important to understand our local need. According to most recent USDA Food Environment Atlas, 13.3% of households in Oneida County are food insecure. That is a 2% increase from the prior survey. Nearly 10% of children in this county are food insecure. USDA defines food security as “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.”

     Food insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. It may reflect a household's need to make trade-offs between important basic needs like medical bills, housing, transportation or heat – and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods. Healthy bodies and minds require nutritious meals at every age. Inconsistent access to adequate amounts of nutritious food can have a negative impact on the health of individuals at all ages. Hunger and health can be depicted as a cycle. Food insecure households are forced to engage coping strategies, including purchase of cheap foods high in calories but low in nutrition. Reliance on less healthy food leads to poor nutrition and chronic diet-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In turn, chronic illnesses worsen existing disabilities or illnesses or result in inability to work and increased healthcare costs, further restricting household budgets. Once a person or family enters the cycle, it can be difficult to escape.

     Food insecurity has potential for harm at any age but it can be especially devastating to children. In particular, inadequate nutrition can permanently alter children's brain architecture and stunt intellectual capacity, affecting learning, social interaction and productivity. They may be at greater risk for stunted development, anemia & asthma and oral health problems. Food insecurity is linked with poorer physical quality of life, preventing full engagement in daily activities. At school, food insecure children are at increased risk of falling behind their peers both academically and socially.  Food insecurity is linked to lower reading and math skills and children are more likely to exhibit behavioral problems.

     Hunger is a bigger challenge during the summer months when kids don't have access to school breakfasts and lunches. As many as 40 extra meals per child per family per month must be provided.

     Foothills, with a generous grant donation from Indium Corporation, is able to provide what we call the Summer Bag Program. This allows us to support families above and beyond our usual supplements. In July and August we were able to provide 190 bags, filled with foods, toiletries and an activity book for each child of pantry client families.

 Programs of Foothills Rural Community Ministry

Food Pantry

Country Corner Thrift Shop

Sarah's Pet Pantry

Christmas Baskets

Park Coffee House

Food Sense Groceries

Back to School Backpack Project

 

Foothills Rural Community Ministry is a coalition of area churches, people and organizations serving the needy in our rural area of Central New York.  Foothills leases space from the Presbyterian Church for its nonprofit organization.

 

frcmin@gmail.com

PO Box 156, 7835 Church Street

Holland Patent, NY 13354

Located in the First Presbyterian Church House                            (twin churches, right side) 

 

Contributions are always needed and appreciated.  Please detach and enclose with any contribution you would like to make to Foothills Rural Community Ministry.  A self-addressed envelope is included for your convenience.

Name:___________________________________

Address:_________________________________

In honor/memory of: _______________________ Amount:________

We also accept donations through PayPal.

Upcoming Events:

Christmas Basket sign-ups Oct. 2 – Nov 21

Hunger Walk Oct. 20

Park Coffee House Nov. 9, Nov. 23, Dec. 7

Christmas Baskets Distribution Dec. 14 & 15

Wine Tasting Fundraiser Jan. 19

Foothills Annual Meeting Jan. 26

 

Monthly Schedule:

Council meetings every 2nd Monday at 7:00 pm

Food Pantry, Sarah’s Pet Pantry, and Country Corner Thrift Shop are open on:

The first 3 Saturdays of every month 9:00 -1:00

The 4th Thursday of every month 9:00 – 1:00

The first Wednesday of every month 4:00 – 6:00

(The Thrift Shop is NOT open on Wednesdays)


    

For more detailed information please visit our website:www.foothillsruralcommunityministry.org

Facebook:  Foothills Rural Community Ministry

Or call the office:  315-865-5854

FRCM, The Country Corner Thrift Shop and The Park Coffee House all have Facebook pages, which are updated regularly with news and volunteer opportunities.