Points for the Food Pantry

Philipstown organization gets a triple boost

Seamus Carroll and his wife, Marie Wieck, began shopping at Foodtown in Cold Spring when it opened in 2003 following a fire that had destroyed the previous supermarket at the location, the Grand Union. 

Like other customers, they started accumulating 10 points in Foodtown loyalty awards for every dollar spent. The points could be redeemed for grocery gift cards.

Three months ago, the couple became the first Foodtown customers to reach 1 million points, according to the store manager, Mike Wilson. 

Carroll said they decided to push for 1 million in 2008, when they hit 100,000. “It became a family joke,” he said, noting he would scold his daughters if they cashed in points to get discounts at the checkout. “I told them we were saving for 1 million; they laughed at that.”

When they hit the mark earlier this year, Carroll sent a photo of the receipt to his daughters, who live in England and China, respectively. They responded with smiley faces, he said.

This week, Carroll and Wieck donated their points to the Philipstown Food Pantry, which operates on Saturday mornings at the First Presbyterian Church in Cold Spring. The pantry redeemed the points for $1,150 in Foodtown gift cards. The supermarket donated another $350 in cards for an even $1,500.

“We thought this would be a way to leverage the gift cards, prompting others to donate,” Carroll said. “It’s a reminder that you can give points to the food pantry [at the customer service desk]; I’m sure people forget this option.”

The food pantry will receive another unexpected gift on Saturday (June 14) when Donna Anderson delivers a $1,017 donation from Philipstown Senior Citizens of Putnam County, which disbanded at the end of 2024.

Food Insecurity Widespread

Even amid wealth, many people struggle to make ends meet. An annual report by the United Way known as ALICE (for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) “is an alarm bell for what we see every Saturday” at the Philipstown Food Pantry, said Kiko Lattu, its coordinator. In May, the pantry provided food and other necessities to an average of 71 households each week.

The United Way argues that the federal poverty level does not accurately reflect the number of people struggling financially to meet basic needs. Using census and other federal data, it calculated for its latest report, released in May, that 38 percent of Cold Spring/Philipstown and 35 percent of Garrison households don’t earn enough to cover the costs of essentials such as housing, food, transportation, health care, child care and a basic phone plan.

“Even more troubling, 51 percent of seniors and about two-thirds of single-parent households in Putnam County are likely struggling,” Lattu said. 

In Putnam County, the United Way calculated that a single adult needs at least $54,180 annually to meet basic needs, or $135,660 for a family of two adults with two children in child care. 

In Beacon, the United Way calculated that 42 percent of the city’s 8,367 households struggle to meet a basic survival budget for Dutchess County of $40,296 for a single adult with $114,996 for a family of two adults and two children in child care. By contrast, the federal poverty level is $14,580 for an individual and $30,000 for a family of four.

Anderson, who served as president for the final two years, said the club was formed in 1974 and at one time had more than 100 members. But by last year, the remaining members voted to dissolve the club and donate its fund balance to the pantry because many seniors suffer from food insecurity. 

Anderson was a vocal advocate for establishing a county senior center at the redeveloped Butterfield Hospital site. After the Philipstown Friendship Center opened there in 2018, she said the need for a seniors’ group diminished. 

On June 1, a Nelsonville family — Karen and Ryan Peters and their daughters, Callie and Sadie — set up a table outside Foodtown to solicit donations for the pantry. In less than three hours, they collected $359 in cash, $175 in Foodtown gift cards and 50 pounds of nonperishable food. Customers also visited the service desk to donate points that were redeemed for $560 in Foodtown gift cards. 

“We wanted to give back to our community and show our children the importance of community service,” said Karen Peters. “It was amazing to see how generous and eager people were to donate to this cause.”

The Philipstown Food Pantry, at 10 Academy St. in Cold Spring, is open from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays. During the summer, donations can be dropped off between 9:30 and 11 a.m. on Fridays. See presbychurchcoldspring.org/food-pantry.