Latest news with #Laurrie
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Niagara County seeing an increase in food insecurity
Food insecurity has increased in Niagara, Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties in the past year, according to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, food pantries and meal programs. The latest results of the annual Map the Meal Gap study show that Niagara County's overall food insecurity rate has reached 13.3%, up from 12.6% in 2022. Among Niagara County's children, 19% face a lack of sufficient food, compared to 17.9% in 2022. 'When you tell me it's 19% for children — most school districts now are providing free meals,' said Major Tom Duperree of the Salvation Army of Lockport, which operates a food pantry and soup kitchen with groceries from FeedMore WNY and other donors. 'So it's evening time for the children because they're being fed in the daytime hours. It's alarming to me.' Duperree, who stocked shelves in the Salvation Army's food pantry Wednesday, has seen demand for the organization's meals and pantry items increase. But there's a new dimension to hunger developing with children. 'Late last year, I remember a high school teacher coming here, and there were two students,' he said. 'The parents had said to both of these children, 'Because you have a part-time job after school, you're no longer getting fed here.' One of the teachers took the lead in bringing the students down here to learn to navigate the food pantry.' According to Denyel Beiter, spokesperson for the Lockport City School District, all district students receive free breakfast and lunch through the US Department of Agriculture's Community Eligibility Provision. Beiter said the district was approved for the program because its poverty rate is over 60%. Mark Laurrie, superintendent of Niagara Falls City School District, said the study's findings of a 6% increase in food insecurity was not a surprise. 'I think that's conservative.' He said 82% of Niagara Falls students use the district's free breakfast and lunch program. Laurrie said announcing a snow day on a Friday is one of the hardest decisions he makes because he knows children will go without food all weekend. 'Abate Elementary has 650 kids, and does 86 backpacks for each weekend,' he said of filling bags with food for children. 'In every one of our elementary schools, we have a backpack program for the weekend,' Laurrie said. 'In our middle schools and high school, we have a food pantry and our social workers are taking kids to that pantry.' Since 2021, the number of people relying on FeedMore WNY, a hunger relief organization, increased by 46%. The need for supplemental food is driven by high grocery store prices, job loss, and increases in other costs, FeedMore said. 'These are community members of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances, including families working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet, older adults surviving on fixed incomes, people living with disabilities, and children,' Collin Bishop, chief communications officer for FeedMore WNY. Nationally, more than 2 out of 5 people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP benefits due to income limits. In FeedMore WNY's service area, 34% of people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP and 26% of children facing hunger may not qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Duperree said Salvation Army clients frequently describe how their budgets are too tight to meet all their living expenses. 'Their rents have gone up so high, in such a short period of time, that by the time they pay their rent, the resources they have left over is barely enough,' he said. 'A recurring story at Salvation Army is that 'if it weren't for the meal I get here if it weren't for the food pantry, I wouldn't be able to make ends meet.' ' 'It's tough enough for the adults, but the childhood factor is just very concerning,' Duperree said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Niagara County sees an increase in food insecurity
Food insecurity has increased in Niagara, Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties in the past year, according to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, food pantries and meal programs. The latest results of the annual Map the Meal Gap study show that Niagara County's overall food insecurity rate has reached 13.3%, up from 12.6% in 2022. Among Niagara County's children, 19% face a lack of sufficient food, compared to 17.9% in 2022. 'When you tell me it's 19% for children — most school districts now are providing free meals,' said Major Tom Duperree of the Salvation Army of Lockport, which operates a food pantry and soup kitchen with groceries from FeedMore WNY and other donors. 'So it's evening time for the children because they're being fed in the daytime hours. It's alarming to me.' Duperree, who stocked shelves in the Salvation Army's food pantry Wednesday, has seen demand for the organization's meals and pantry items increase. But there's a new dimension to hunger developing with children. 'Late last year, I remember a high school teacher coming here, and there were two students,' he said. 'The parents had said to both of these children, 'Because you have a part-time job after school, you're no longer getting fed here.' One of the teachers took the lead in bringing the students down here to learn to navigate the food pantry.' According to Denyel Beiter, spokesperson for the Lockport City School District, all district students receive free breakfast and lunch through the US Department of Agriculture's Community Eligibility Provision. Beiter said the district was approved for the program because its poverty rate is over 60%. Mark Laurrie, superintendent of Niagara Falls City School District, said the study's findings of a 6% increase in food insecurity was not a surprise. 'I think that's conservative.' He said 82% of Niagara Falls students use the district's free breakfast and lunch program. Laurrie said announcing a snow day on a Friday is one of the hardest decisions he makes because he knows children will go without food all weekend. 'Abate Elementary has 650 kids, and does 86 backpacks for each weekend,' he said of filling bags with food for children. 'In every one of our elementary schools, we have a backpack program for the weekend,' Laurrie said. 'In our middle schools and high school, we have a food pantry and our social workers are taking kids to that pantry.' Since 2021, the number of people relying on FeedMore WNY, a hunger relief organization, increased by 46%. The need for supplemental food is driven by high grocery store prices, job loss, and increases in other costs, FeedMore said. 'These are community members of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances, including families working multiple jobs trying to make ends meet, older adults surviving on fixed incomes, people living with disabilities, and children,' Collin Bishop, chief communications officer for FeedMore WNY. Nationally, more than 2 out of 5 people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP benefits due to income limits. In FeedMore WNY's service area, 34% of people facing hunger may not qualify for SNAP and 26% of children facing hunger may not qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Duperree said Salvation Army clients frequently describe how their budgets are too tight to meet all their living expenses. 'Their rents have gone up so high, in such a short period of time, that by the time they pay their rent, the resources they have left over is barely enough,' he said. 'A recurring story at Salvation Army is that 'if it weren't for the meal I get here if it weren't for the food pantry, I wouldn't be able to make ends meet.' ' 'It's tough enough for the adults, but the childhood factor is just very concerning,' Duperree said.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'A lot remains to be seen' — school districts move cautiously on Department of Education cuts
With President Trump signing an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education, how Niagara County school districts receive funding for certain types of programming is now up in the air. The administration has said funding the department is responsible for, such as Title I, Pell Grants, and funding for disabled children would instead be moved to other agencies and departments. The majority of school budgets, however, come from the state using a formula called Foundation Aid to determine how much funding a district gets. The March 20 executive order states that 'the Secretary of Education shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all the necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the states and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits which Americans rely. The order is part of the Trump's efforts to downsize and make the federal government more efficient. Trump's order does not close the $79 billion department completely, which has existed since 1979. That can only happen through an act of Congress. The situation has led to a lot of uncertainty, locally. 'A lot of it remains to be seen,' said Niagara Falls City Schools Superintendent Mark Laurrie, whose district received around $11 million through various federal funding streams this current school year. He and other county superintendents are monitoring the situation to see what changes could happen. Laurrie previously told the Gazette that the worst-case scenarios could see staff layoffs and some programs being discontinued. In Title funding alone, which supplements education for children who are in high-poverty areas and funds such programs as learning English as a new language and help for low academic achievers, Niagara County public school districts and the charter school received nearly $12.5 million. Those districts are well into the presentation phases for next year's school budgets with federal and state funding having already been allocated. The earliest any impact from potential cuts could be felt is the 2026/27 school year. Laurrie said that next year's $202.4 million school budget is ready for a vote, due to happen on May 20. Niagara-Wheatfield Superintendent Dan Ljilianich, whose planned $91.1 million 2025/26 budget would increase the tax levy by 0.64%, expects around $2.91 million in federal funding like last year. That includes Title funding, IDEA Act funding, Medicaid, and Impact Aid for having the Tuscarora Nation in its area. 'As a school district, we have a concern with the unknown,' Ljilianich said, adding there would be no changes to the tax levy because of federal actions. Royalton-Hartland Central School District received $87,419 from the Department of Agriculture's Patrick Leahy Farm to School Implementation Grant Program in 2021 for hands-on learning and to get students interested in the field. Having applied for it again this year, that program has been canceled. 'It's difficult to predict the impact of the unknown,' said Superintendent Jill Heck, whose district received more than $300,000 in Title funding and $364,401 in IDEA Act funding. 'We expect that some of the funding will be channeled through a different federal program, but again, that remains to be determined.' With President Trump signing an executive order to eliminate the Department of Education, how Niagara County school districts receive funding for certain types of programming is now up in the air. The administration has said funding the department is responsible for, such as Title I, Pell Grants, and funding for disabled children would instead be moved to other agencies and departments. The majority of school budgets, however, come from the state using a formula called Foundation Aid to determine how much funding a district gets. The March 20 executive order states that 'the Secretary of Education shall, to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all the necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the states and local communities while ensuring the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits which Americans rely. The order is part of the Trump's efforts to downsize and make the federal government more efficient. Trump's order does not close the $79 billion department completely, which has existed since 1979. That can only happen through an act of Congress. The situation has led to a lot of uncertainty, locally. 'A lot of it remains to be seen,' said Niagara Falls City Schools Superintendent Mark Laurrie, whose district received around $11 million through various federal funding streams this current school year. He and other county superintendents are monitoring the situation to see what changes could happen. Laurrie previously told the Gazette that the worst-case scenarios could see staff layoffs and some programs being discontinued. In Title funding alone, which supplements education for children who are in high-poverty areas and funds such programs as learning English as a new language and help for low academic achievers, Niagara County public school districts and the charter school received nearly $12.5 million. Those districts are well into the presentation phases for next year's school budgets with federal and state funding having already been allocated. The earliest any impact from potential cuts could be felt is the 2026/27 school year. Laurrie said that next year's $202.4 million school budget is ready for a vote, due to happen on May 20. Niagara-Wheatfield Superintendent Dan Ljilianich, whose planned $91.1 million 2025/26 budget would increase the tax levy by 0.64%, expects around $2.91 million in federal funding like last year. That includes Title funding, IDEA Act funding, Medicaid, and Impact Aid for having the Tuscarora Nation in its area. 'As a school district, we have a concern with the unknown,' Ljilianich said, adding there would be no changes to the tax levy because of federal actions. Royalton-Hartland Central School District received $87,419 from the Department of Agriculture's Patrick Leahy Farm to School Implementation Grant Program in 2021 for hands-on learning and to get students interested in the field. Having applied for it again this year, that program has been canceled. 'It's difficult to predict the impact of the unknown,' said Superintendent Jill Heck, whose district received more than $300,000 in Title funding and $364,401 in IDEA Act funding. 'We expect that some of the funding will be channeled through a different federal program, but again, that remains to be determined.'
