Our Impact
Within our Advocacy & Empowerment Working Group, we’ve championed budget priorities that shape our advocacy efforts, including raising SNAP benefits and securing funding for essential programs like HPNAP/Nourish NY. We’ve taken our advocacy directly to decision-makers at the capital and locally, gaining formal support from the City Council of Schenectady and the Village of Scotia. Together, we’ve urged the Governor and NYS legislators to prioritize these initiatives in the NYS FY 2025 budget. We hold speak-out events to provide a platform for community members and leaders to share their experiences with food insecurity and poverty, driving meaningful change through shared voices and stories. We have taken this first year as an educational experience, celebrating each triumph and learning from each pitfall.
Ongoing Efforts
Our Access & Equity Working Group is engaged in survey collection and data analysis to update the Healthy and Equitable Food Action Plan. By identifying gaps in food access within our community, we can develop targeted interventions. Future updates to our needs assessment will be guided by the findings of this research.
Our Agriculture & Food Systems Working Group is spearheading an initiative to establish urban farming spaces across our county. Through the Urban Farming Land initiative, we are collaborating with various entities to repurpose non-buildable properties for urban agriculture, ensuring equitable access to fresh, nutritious food for all.
Our Advocacy & Empowerment Working Group is an advocacy campaign, laying the groundwork for the 2025-26 state budget. Learning through this first experience how important it is to build relationships with local and state representatives. Additionally, they are developing tools to empower community members to engage in advocacy and make their voices heard.