The pandemic has kicked social economics into gear, such as removing income and demographic requirements from qualifying for food assistance. For example: while Beacon once qualified for a free Summer Meals Program, a meal prep service many children in Beacon relied upon when school was out for summer, Beacon lost qualification for that in 2019 due to the changing demographics with new people moving in who have higher incomes.

Statistics were not provided on if the same number of children still needed the food, but were outnumbered by higher income earners also calling Beacon home. Back then, a Beacon business owner, Wendy Savastano, who previously owned Beacon Bagel, wanted to continue feeding children over the summer, and reached out to this blog, as well as to the Beacon Superintendent, Dr. Matt Landahl, to figure out how to make that happen. Dr. Landahl organized a meeting with several leaders in Beacon’s food access community who were boots-on-the-ground feeding people, to try to coordinate efforts.

Consensus was: the same amount of children are still here, but Beacon lost qualification. Attendees included Captain Leilani Rodríguez-Alarcón, Corps Commanding Officer / Pastor for The Salvation Army Beacon Citadel Corps (located on Main Street). She had been cooking and delivering food to children in housing communities like Tompkins Terrace. She often ran low on food to prepare. Meanwhile, she was sitting next to a representative from Dutchess Outreach who had access to a food pantry right down the street, and had food to provide.

Other attendees included Beacon’s Parks and Recreation Director Mark Price, who had direct experience with receiving the free meals and setting up distribution of them at the Beacon Recreation Center, located near the Beacon Housing Authority, where many kids could walk to pick up the meals. Losing that location when the Free Meal qualification was lost was detrimental to how the kids would access the food.

Delivery Of Free Meals During Pandemic

When the pandemic hit - or was declared - and all students had to stay home, the federal government made free meals available to everyone, regardless of income. No one needed to apply, or fill out forms, or prove how much money they earned or lost.