Column by Don Glynn —
One of the shocking statements in Gov. Cuomo’s recent State of the State message was the severity of the hunger problem in the Empire State.
The governor mentioned — without citing the source — that one in six children in New York state do not have enough food to eat.
That’s hard to believe when you often see single mothers, for example, hauling their allotments away from pantries or even the neighborhood grocery store where food stamps are accepted.
Meanwhile, the Heart & Soul dining room and food pantry, 939 Ontario Ave., and the Community Missions Inc., Buffalo Avenue, continue to provide food for hundreds of people every day, on their premises or with take-outs for their families.
There’s no question, however, that more people are finding it difficult to make ends meet, even if they’re employed. Low-paying jobs simply don’t cover the family expenses so a number of people are forced to seek a second job.
People insensitive to that dilemma usually counter with “They should stop having so many kids” or “Most of those people don’t want to work anyway.” In the current economic crisis, those are cheap and unwarranted shots, ignoring the real issue at hand.
Cuomo has pointed out that 30 percent of New Yorkers eligible for food stamps do not receive them. That leaves some $2 billion in federal funds unclaimed every year. That’s a shame.
What the governor has pledged — long overdue for countless families — is that his administration will work to increase participation in the food stamp programs by reducing barriers and eliminating the stigma associated with the hunger assistance programs.
Don Luce, the public relations director for the Community Missions Inc., Buffalo Avenue, said the agency sometimes encounters a 30 to 40 percent increase in dining room attendance, especially near the end of the month when people run out of their food stamps.
Luce noted that drastic budget cuts have impacted the Social Services Department and, to compound matters, some people find it hard for various reasons to qualify for assistance.
As for any stigma linked to the food stamp recipients, Luce doesn’t believe that is a barrier any more. “The people getting the stamps are often in the company of others using them too, so I don’t think it’s really a stigma,” he said.
There’s another side to the problem of people losing out on their food or other assistance. It’s the lack of proper identification. The mission staff spends considerable time trying to help people develop an identity.
They frequently show up with no birth certificate or other proof that’s usually required by any agency.
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IN THE PARK: Those ambitious plans to redevelop Joseph Davis State Park, Lewiston, will be reviewed Tuesday by the Niagara River Greenway Commission. The annual meeting is set for 3 p.m. at the Beaver Island State Park Clubhouse on Grand Island.
Due to the ongoing financial problems in Albany, the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation agreed to a 10-year lease for the Town of Lewiston to maintain and operate the 360-acre park between the Robert Moses Parkway and Lower River Road.
Lewiston Supervisor Steve Reiter has a wide-ranging strategy for improvements including a new visitors center, a campground, and a water taxi service.
State parks officials are reportedly less that enthused about some of Reiter’s entrepreneurial spirit.
•••
MILESTONE: Joe Cecconi’s Chrysler Complex, Military Road, is celebrating its 45th year with a four-day anniversary sale that ends Monday.
In a fiercely competitive business, it’s remarkable that a company launched in the 1960s would still be thriving today.
Despite some bumps along the road, Joe Cecconi has managed to survive in a strong and impressive manner.
For the record, when the parent Chrysler Corp. went into bankruptcy in 2009, it shed 789 dealerships, or about a quarter of its total in the U.S. It remained in business by forming an alliance with the Italian manufacturer Fiat.
•••
SENIOR MOMENT: Overheard at Bandanas Bar & Grill, Youngstown: “I let my mind wander and it never came back” — a retired school teacher explaining how he locked himself out of his SUV.
Don Glynn
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Glynn
GLYNN: Many kids go hungry, Cuomo says
- Don Glynn
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GLYNN: Gillibrand seeks help for prime bread-winners
A recent report shows that working mothers across the Empire State earn nearly 15 percent lower pay for the same work as men.
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GLYNN: Falls, Ont., rolls out red carpet for Wallenda
Before Nik Wallenda even started practicing his high-wire routine in downtown Niagara Falls, state Sen.George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane, had noted the warm welcome the tightrope walker received across the river.
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GLYNN: Graduates find they’re in staggering debt
Countless senior citizens often gripe about something, sometimes even with good reason. Perhaps they should consider themselves fortunate, compared with the younger generation.
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GLYNN: All eyes on Seneca casino plaza
There’s a new breed of sidewalk superintendents in downtown Niagara Falls.
Unlike the typical work site — watching hardhats skillfully putting steel beams in place — all eyes Saturday were glued to tightrope artist Nick Wallenda strolling on a 2-inch cable linked to two giant construction cranes.
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GLYNN: Where Wallenda starts walk still up in the air
Which way will Nik Wallenda walk?
Will he begin his highly touted tightrope performance June 15 at Terrapin Point on Goat Island and proceed past the Horseshoe Falls to his destination near the Table Rock House? Or will he start from the Canadian side and stroll to the U.S.
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GLYNN: Age not an issue for Slaughter
Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, whose district previously included the Niagara area, may be sidelined with a broken leg but she hasn’t lost her sense of humor.
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GLYNN: Politics front and center in state park
If you watched that press conference from Prospect Park on Wednesday, you may have first wondered what it was all about.
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GLYNN: Cuomo coy on future plans
It was a page out of the past last week when a reporter asked Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo a familiar question.
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GLYNN: Ex-private eye helps in dog tags mystery
Over the years Paul Austin of Ransomville has often walked along the Lake Ontario shoreline north of Old Fort Niagara in Youngstown.
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GLYNN: Press corps dean plans Cuomo book
Whenever there’s talk that someone is writing a book about a high-profile public servant (e.g. a governor), it gives rise to speculation there’s more to the subject than what meets the eye.
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