With the government shutdown and SNAP benefits possibly running out on November 1st, our team decided to scour the county for every resource possible to support food security.
We began this series with the northernmost part of the county, going as far south as Amboy. For this installment, we will focus on the most populated part of the county: the City of Oswego, plus the towns of Scriba, Minetto, and Hannibal.
We encourage all readers who can afford it to make a donation to their local food pantry or offer a meal to a neighbor in need. Another low-effort way to support the community is to add a few kid-friendly shelf-stable goods to give out on top of Halloween candy, such as cans of soup or protein bars. Our community is going to need all of the support it can get.
Food Pantries and Distribution Sites
Human Concerns is a food pantry located in Oswego that serves residents of the Oswego City School District. The all-volunteer organization is open five days a week from 12pm-3pm, and offers a 3-day supply of food to participants once every two weeks. For more information, contact the pantry at 315-308-8625.
The Hannibal Resource Center Food Pantry is open to residents of the Hannibal school district on Mondays 11am to 2pm and Tuesdays 5pm to 7pm. For questions, contact Jackie McKelvey at [email protected].
The Oswego Alliance Church is hosting a mobile (drive-through) food distribution through the Food Bank of CNY on Friday, November 14. Cars typically begin lining up about an hour ahead of the distribution start time. This site does not distribute food boxes during the winter; look for it again come springtime. There are no income requirements; all residents of Oswego County in need are welcomed.
Salvation Army of Oswego’s Food Pantry is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10am to 11:30am and 12:30pm to 2pm. In Fulton, the Salvation Army Food Pantry is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 11:15am and 12:30pm to 1:45pm; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it stays open until 2:45pm instead of 1:45pm. Both Salvation Army pantries serve all Oswego County residents.
The Lycoming First United Methodist Church has a blessings box outside of the church which is regularly maintained and available 24 hours a day. The items are first come, first serve.
The Fulton Church of the Nazarene has a newly expanded food pantry that is open to any Oswego County residents from 10am to noon on the fourth Saturday of the month. For more details, reach out to Theresa Durgan at [email protected].
Residents of Hannibal, Minetto, Fulton, and Granby may also receive food from the Dexterville 7th Day Adventist Food Pantry, located on Rathburn Road outside of Fulton. The pantry is open on Mondays from 6pm to 8pm. For further information, contact John Livergood at [email protected].
Catholic Charities of Oswego County is open to all county residents. While it is located in Fulton, they will provide emergency food for 5 days for every person in the household, as well as offering a free bag of food at Christmas. For Thanksgiving, the non-profit is planning to provide free additional items for food pantry participants in lieu of a holiday basket. More details are available on the CCOC website.
Discount Grocery Programs
The Food $en$e program operated by the Food Bank of CNY provides heavily discounted meat, produce, and pantry staples monthly at locations throughout the county. You can browse the current offerings on the Food Bank of CNY’s website. There are seven pick-up locations in Oswego County, including at the Salvation Army in Oswego.
Hot Meals
On Oswego’s East Side, people can go to Trinity United Methodist Church for a free will dinner one Sunday a month. The next meal is slated for Sunday, November 2, starting at 4:30pm. The meals are regularly scheduled for the first Sunday of the month.
The Minetto United Methodist Church offers free dinners on the third Wednesday of every month from 4pm to 5:30pm. The church is located on the corner of State Route 48 and County Route 8. The next dinner is scheduled for November 19.
Salvation Army of Oswego operates a daily soup kitchen from 11:30am to 12:30pm.
Meals on Wheels is operated by Oswego County Opportunities throughout the county. People under the age of 60 who would like to receive Meals on Wheels should contact OCO’s Nutrition Services at 315-598-4712. More information is available at oco.org.
Lasagna Love is entirely volunteer-funded and operated. Note that this program may not be suitable for folks with serious allergies or food sensitivities, and the wait times for meal deliveries varies based on how many requests have been received. To volunteer to make a meal, visit their website.
Resources for Seniors
Meals on Wheels is operated by Oswego County Opportunities throughout the county. For adults 60 and over interested in participating, contact the county’s Office for the Aging at 315-349-3484.
Resources for Children
While we would normally recommend families with young children look into WIC (315-343-1311), the program is likely to experience interruptions similar to SNAP if the government shutdown continues.
For school-aged children, there are backpack programs in every school district in the county. Each of these were recently awarded funding from Erin’s Angels of CNY. In Oswego, this program is known as Blessings in a Backpack; the goal is to provide food on the weekends for school-aged children. Reach out to your child’s school for more information.
OCO operates after-school and summer meals programs with locations throughout the county to feed children aged 18 and under. For the most up-to-date list of locations, contact OCO at 315-598-4712.
Miscellaneous Resources
The Oswego County Humane Society operates a small food pantry for pets. Oswego County residents who have proof of low-income status and spay/neuter records for each pet are eligible for support. For more details, visit the Humane Society’s website or call their office at 315-207-1070.
Although not food, diapers add significant financial stress to families at the grocery store. The Oswego County Diaper Bank offers up to 50 diapers per month, per child to Oswego County families in need with children 5 and under. The diaper bank is coordinated by Integrated Community Planning of Oswego County. Families can request diapers by calling 315-343-2344. That number goes to a switchboard: dial #6 for the Early Childhood Alliance and then press #1 to speak with a person about your family’s diaper needs.
If you live in the City of Oswego and struggle with transportation, Victory Transformation may be able to help. In addition to operating a low-cost café, the religious-based non-profit helps people get to food pantries and other essential services. Note that Victory Transformation has a policy to only help those who are not currently suffering from active addiction to drugs.
For Narcan, condoms, and other items that may be difficult to find at food banks, we encourage residents of the City of Oswego to reach out to the people behind Organize Oswego. While the organization is small, they are working to scale up mutual aid and fill critical gaps in the community. We highly recommend supporting this grassroots, highly responsive organization in their work, as the group is small enough to pivot to addressing new needs as they arise.
A final reminder
Food insecurity is a serious problem in our county. In 2023, over 1 in 5 kids in Oswego County faced food insecurity at home. We can solve this problem together without judgment or fear, if we unite as a community. If we have missed any resources in or around Oswego, feel free to add them in the comments. And if you see someone struggling, don’t be afraid to break the silence and offer them a helping hand.
