A Seneca County food pantry has received a grant to make it easier for clients to carry groceries.
Lodi Food 4 All recently used a Neighborhood Mini-Grant from Sustainable Finger Lakes to purchase carts for customers, after organizers noticed many people struggling to carry heavy bags through the pantry.
The pantry, which has served the community for more than a decade, has seen a sharp increase in demand in recent months. Organizer Karel Titus said the need grew significantly after federal assistance programs like SNAP were discontinued.
Titus said the idea for carts came after seeing patrons carrying multiple grocery bags weighing between 30 and 40 pounds.
“We figured, unless they have another person with them to help with bags, they can’t carry their food around the pantry,” Titus said.
Pantry leaders say the carts are a small but meaningful improvement, helping clients move more easily through the space and take what they need without worrying about how much they can physically carry.
Titus said many families already face difficult financial decisions when it comes to basic needs.
“People have expenses. One of them is food, but in some cases, people have to make decisions with their money – ‘do I spend money on food, rent, medicine, or health insurance?’” Titus said. “The majority of families can’t cover everything; so, they have to make decisions.”
Sustainable Finger Lakes, which awarded the grant, says its Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program supports community-driven projects aimed at improving quality of life across the region.
