With the First Harvest Food Pantry’s success, we expanded our outreach to include a partnership with the Town of Dover, New York to provide produce and farm-made prepared foods to its senior population. Dover has both a higher poverty rate and lower median income than other neighboring towns and no longer has its own grocery store.
Offered through their Senior Recreation Program, this partnership helps meet the nutritional needs of residents aged 55 and older. For seniors, eating fresh produce is a key contributor to their long-term health and helps them maintain a healthy weight, prevents progressive malnutrition, and avoids over-processed foods that may aggravate aging-related medical conditions. The program runs throughout the growing season. In 2022, we served about 50 seniors and provided produce that was part of up to 2,500 meals.
