The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
GIVING BACK
The Karing Kitchen receives $2,500 from Oneida Elks Lodge
ONEIDA, N.Y. »
The Karing Kitchen received a $2,500 Gratitude Grant from the Oneida Elks, which provides muchneeded support as the Karing Kitchen continues to feed, assist, and nurture the community during the pandemic.
The Karing Kitchen is a nonprofit soup kitchen located in Oneida that serves Madison County residents from all walks of life. Providing nutritious meals, health and personal resources, and a sense of family and togetherness are just a few ways the Karing Kitchen protects the community.
In June alone, the Karing Kitchen reported to have delivered over 40,000 lbs of food to residents in need.
Representatives from the Oneida Elks stated that this year’s Gratitude Grant is designed to help organizations that are better equipped to directly serve the populations in need that have been affected by the pandemic. The Oneida Elks praised the Karing Kitchen for their role in the community and their ability to make an impact during these difficult times.
Karing Kitchen Program Coordinator Melissa King accepted the donation on behalf of her organization, stating that these extra funds are welcome during a time with several unknowns and added expenses due to COVID-19.
Additionally, the soup kitchen is prepping for a greater need for their services over the next coming months.
Now following a delivery-only model for food, the organization faces new obstacles, such as container costs. Additionally, King said the funds will help the kitchen provide more fresh produce.
The program coordinator explained that the Karing Kitchen serves a particularly vulnerable population, and navigating through a pandemic makes serving these individuals more necessary than ever — while also making it extremely difficult.
The Karing Kitchen not only provides meals, but also guides those wading through uncharted waters, whether that involves finances, family situations, or personal struggles.
Many are unaware of the public assistance services they can apply for, and the Karing Kitchen team can help connect individuals to available programming. The organization’s website has COVID-19 resources related to health insurance, SNAP benefits, free cellular service, local counseling services, telehealth, and more.
The pandemic has created a ripple effect through the community that has resulted in job loss, business closures, and a myriad of other situations that have left residents feeling displaced. King pointed out that not everyone has gotten their due stimulus check, and unemployment funds still aren’t accessible for many who qualify.
Additionally, the daycare that schools provide was taken away, creating a whole new source of stress for families in need, who are also facing uncertainty for the upcoming school year.
King explained that there are so many moving parts to this virus, on top of everyday obstacles, that keep vulnerable individuals away from vi
tal resources.
For instance, when someone needs to quarantine, an accessible supply of food and other items needs to last during that period of isolation. However, many are accustomed to doing grocery runs several times a week, as they don’t have the savings to buy large quantities of food at once, don’t have the storage capacity, or have to wait for sales or even food stamp income.
Some, including the elderly and immunocompromised, are encouraged to stay home more frequently, and these individuals may be struggling to make ends meet.
This is where the Karing Kitchen has stepped up to meet the ever-growing demands of COVID-19.
In the past, the kitchen was open the last full week of the month, Monday-sunday, offering various meals throughout the day.
Now, volunteers are continuously working multiple days a week, way more than ever before, providing a contactless delivery-only system, making sure that those who need food and other resources, for whatever reason, are able to get them, King said.
“Our doors might be closed, but our programming is open,” she added.
The kitchen has worked with the Oneida City grab-n-go lunch program, helping to deliver meals to children whose families are unable to retrieve the meals at the pick-up locations. Currently, around 90 children are getting deliveries, according to King.
“We are very appreciative of Oneida City School District stepping up to the plate and making those [meals],” King said.
Any parents or other family members who are in need will get food from the Karing Kitchen along with their delivery. The child-meal program is scheduled to end Aug. 13, and King said she is unsure what will happen after that.
Homelessness is also a prevalent issue in Madison
County that many residents aren’t even aware of, King shared. She described it as a “hidden population” due to the rural nature of the area and due to individuals not openly disclosing their situation.
“People keep it hidden because of the shame that’s associated with it, the stares, the questions... that’s a lot for them [to handle],” King explained. No one plans to end up without a place to call home, she said, but there are many in the area who sleep on couches, in cars, or in tents. Some, for one reason or another, don’t qualify for certain assistance programs, she said, and homelessness has become their only option.
Madison County doesn’t have a homeless shelter either, King added, so individuals are spread throughout the community in ways that tend to go unnoticed.
“All you can do is just be there, and be supportive,” King shared.
The program coordinator gave insight to the Karing Kitchen’s mission and reality, sharing that the organization is open to all, with no judgment, no questions asked, and a friendly smile. Anyone can utilize their services, no matter their level of need.
She shared that the Karing Kitchen is about more than food, it’s about family. One thing King said she regrets most about the pandemic is how it’s limited the kitchen’s ability to make personal connections and a sense of community.
“Our program is very social. We’re about building relationships,” King remarked.
The Karing Kitchen operates through donations and in coordination with their partners at the Oneida Area Council of Churches, United Way of Greater Oneida, community members, the First United Methodist Church, and the Food Bank of Central New York.
Volunteers run the show, and this is something that’s become a bit of a struggle because of COVID-19 limitations. “We have many elderly volunteers,” King explained, and so to protect their health and well being, their ability to help out is
greatly limited. King now utilizes a “core team” of volunteers who are all food safety trained, USDA civil rights trained, and are obliged to follow a code of conduct and confidentiality policy, as all Karing Kitchen volunteers are required to.
“There’s never any judgment. We’ve always said that our area is a drama-free zone,” King said.
Those in the community who’d like to support the Karing Kitchen, have options. The Karing Kitchen accepts monetary donations through their website. Other donations including food, health and beauty products, and toys, should be coordinated with the organization for drop off. King emphasized the need for fans right now as the weather gets hotter and many are struggling to keep cool. A drive-by drop-off donation event will be occurring in August, with more details to come.
The Karing Kitchen prioritizes easily opened and ready-to-eat foods for donation. Current need for food items include: microwavable macaroni and cheese, small cans or cups of fruit and vegetables that do not require a can opener, beef raviolis, spaghetti O’s with pop tops, pop tarts, cereal/granola bars, individual packets of crackers/ snacks, drink mix-ins, tuna fish snack size, protein bars/ drinks, gallon size Ziploc bags, cereal, and jelly.
Looking ahead, King said she anticipates a great need come Christmas time, and so Christmas related donations are welcome. Items accepted for Karing Kitchen Christmas donations include gently used toys for all ages, games, Christmas decorations/themed items, trinkets, and other items.
If you are uncertain about a donation, contact the Karing Kitchen.
Anyone who feels they could benefit from the meals and other resources provided by the Karing Kitchen is encouraged to reach out either via Facebook or the Karing Kitchen website. The nonprofit can be reached by phone at (315) 363-2450 or by email at Karingkitchen@yahoo.com.