PUTNAM COUNTY- Putnam may be one of the most affluent counties in New York State, yet people are hurting financially.
The Philipstown Food Pantry in Cold Spring reported that visits rose 41 percent in the first quarter of 2026—normally its slowest period—compared with January through March 2025.
The pantry distributes food on Saturdays at the First Presbyterian Church in addition to a mobile pantry that visits senior housing complexes and the town’s Friendship Center with fresh produce.
Kiko Lattu, director of the Philipstown Food Pantry noted: “Many pantry guests visit often, even weekly, showing ongoing, not temporary, food insecurity. For food-insecure households, especially seniors and single-family or single-parent families, any disruption can cause a chain reaction.”
Meanwhile, the Philipstown Town Board agreed that the municipality will administer a grant the Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce is seeking to expand the town’s residential food-scrap recycling program to businesses.
A $6,000 grant from Williams College has enabled a start-up commercial program in cooperation with the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market, The Garrison on Route 9, Garrison Institute, Haldane School District and Marbled Meat.
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