People Helping People In A Big Way
by Doug La Rocque with Amy Modesti
A 1964 song by Barbara Streisand started out with the lyrics “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” For the multitude of people who gathered at the Hoosick Falls School District parking lot on Wednesday morning, August 26 to receive packages of frozen meat, fresh vegetables, milk, eggs, bread and Girl Scout cookies, they felt both lucky and blessed indeed. Another tenet of the song says to “send them your love.” There was plenty of love being sent as well, from the organizers of the event right down to those helping with the distribution.
One of those is Sister Betsy Van Dusen, the Director of Community Partnerships for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany. She tells The Eastwick Press the day’s event was part of CC Moves, Catholic Charities’ Mobile Outreach Vehicle Extension, which is an effort to provide supplemental and emergency food at a time when many are struggling.
The program began in November of 2018 in Fulton and Montgomery counties (Amsterdam and Gloversville areas) which have the highest percentage of people under the poverty line in the Capital Region. Since then, the program has grown to as many as 8 or 9 giveaways a month.
In fact, Sister Van Duesen says this year alone, “we have helped over 50,000 people and given away more than a million pounds of food.” And while the event is a first for Catholic Charities in the eastern portion of Rensselaer County, they recently held a similar giveaway in the Lansingburgh section of Troy.
Catholic Charities major partner in CC Moves is the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, along with the Capital District Area Labor Federation. Helping out in Hoosick Falls were Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly and staff, the Hoosick Falls Teachers Association, the Hoosick Area Churches Association (HACA) and many volunteers.