FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2020

#PublicHealthIsHere4U
MEDIA SERIES DESIGNED TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS

New City, NY, - Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce the latest update to the #PublicHealthIsHere4U media series which highlights local COVID-19 public health efforts that are keeping our community safe. The series highlights county employees and volunteers that have come together to help battle this disease through the implementation of public health measures.

Today's #PublicHealthIsHere4U update features the important public health role of hunger mitigation while ensuring good nutrition. Several County of Rockland departments, including the County Executive's Office, Office of Fire and Emergency Services, Youth Bureau, and Health Department, have come together to ensure that no Rockland residents go hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the pandemic, the county agreed to designate the County's Health Complex in Pomona as a centralized drop-off site for bi-monthly deliveries of fresh produce and dairy products.

Health Department employee and nutritionist, Michelle Kleinman, has been influential in working collaboratively with the Rockland Community Against Hunger (RCAH) Committee and dozens of local food pantries, group homes, and feeding programs to bring fresh produce and dairy products to residents of Rockland. Prior to COVID-19, Michelle spent her workdays as the Coordinator on two state-funded programs aimed at ensuring accessibility to healthier food choices, which led to a strong partnership with RCAH.

"Food is an essential need that many of us have taken for granted until now. This pandemic has affected many of our residents on different levels. Many who had plenty to eat before may be food insecure now; it is a real shock to choose between paying a mortgage or having food to feed your family.  Being a community liaison in this crisis has helped to coordinate efforts to bring together community leaders, caring residents that volunteer their time and expertise, and not-for-profit and community-based organizations to make meals count for those in need," said Michelle Kleinman.

The goal of RCAH is to make sure that no one in Rockland County goes hungry. The committee is dedicated to providing information about food sources and food-related services, raising awareness of hunger in Rockland County, mobilizing support among public and private resources, educating the community about healthier food choices, and improving overall nutrition. The RCAH committee initially brought the "Get Fresh" program to Rockland in 2011 morphing many times to become the robust program it is today with full support from the County of Rockland.

"This delivery service from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York provides a quicker turnaround time for getting perishable foods, such as produce and dairy products, to our local programs that distribute or prepare food," said Kleinman.

Michelle has been working with Get Fresh and local food programs for several years. She has intimate knowledge of the specific needs, clientele, and distribution schedules of sites that are registered to receive donations from the Food Bank. Michelle uses this information to assist with the food disbursement at Get Fresh events. With her knowledge, she can determine the quantity, type, and special needs of dispersing donated foods to the program best suited to receive the food items. For instance, some pantries require kosher foods; others only have a pickup for clients once a week, so they need products that will last until the next pickup. This helps to ensure that no food goes to waste.

"During these difficult times, it is so important to get food to our residents, to help families, and get them the calories they need to survive. This is a crisis, and we are in crisis mode. In these times, it is not about individuals making healthier choices, but offering these healthier choices as a way to minimize hunger," said Kleinman.

To date, 27,240 pounds of food or 13.62 tons of food have been distributed at Get Fresh events. The Food Bank is scheduled to make another delivery in Rockland County on Thursday, May 21, where Michelle, along with representatives from other county agencies and several community volunteers will spend hours unpacking and repacking food for immediate distribution to many organizations that provide food to our community. If you need food, please visit http://www.rocklandhunger.org/food-pantries-feeding-programs/ for a current list of local food pantries and feeding programs.

If you have general COVID-19 concerns or any questions, call the Rockland County COVID-19 Hotline at 845-238-1956, Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm or email COVIDCallCenter@co.rockland.ny.us. For local COVID-19 information and resources, visit the county's coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage at http://rcklnd.us/covid19 or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rockhealth or Twitter at www.twitter.com/rockhealth for more information.

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