Squash Hunger

Share your love of fresh, healthy produce with those who don’t get enough nutritious food.  Capital District Community Gardens (CDCG) Squash Hunger Program unites those who have surplus fresh produce to give with those in need. 

Since it's creation in 2004, the Squash Hunger program has collected more than 90,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables donated by members of the community which is brought to shelters, pantries, and soup kitchens by volunteers.

Extra produce can be donated at one of the eleven Squash Hunger collection sites in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties.

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Here’s How to Help
* Plant a row in your garden just for the hungry 

* Harvest and share the extra produce from your own garden

* Donate produce from your farm, your Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share or a farmer’s market

* When picking strawberries or apples pick some for the hungry

* When shopping for your family, buy extra produce to share.

* Bring the produce to one of eleven collection sites throughout the capital district.

We still need volunteers for Squash Hunger pick-ups. If you are interested in volunteering please contact our outreach coordinator at outreach@cdcg.org, or call us at 518-274-8685.

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*2011 Drop off Locations*

Produce can be dropped off from July-October. The following drop off locations will be ready for your extra produce starting June 21st.

Delmar Market Place 406 Kenwood Avenue Delmar, 439-3936	Honest Weight Food Coop 484 Central Avenue Albany, 482-2667	CDCG 40 River Street Troy, 274-8685
Kristy's Barn 2385 Brookview Rd Schodack, 477-6250	Delmar Farmer's Market (Bethlehem Middle School) Drop off Saturdays 9am-1pm at the community table	Troy Riverfront Farmer's Market Drop off Saturdays 9am-1pm at the community table

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Locations that have received produce from the Squash Hunger Program

Unity House, Troy NY	Capital City Rescue Mission, Albany NY
Salvation Army, Troy NY	Doors of Hope, West Sand Lake NY
Trinity Place, Albany NY	Concerns U, Rensselaer NY
St. James, Albany NY	Residential Center, Altamont House, Altamont NY
Booth Home, Schenectady  NY	Schenectady Inner City Ministry, Schenectady NY
YMCA food pantry, Schenectady NY	St. Catherine's Home, Albany NY
Equinox Shelters, Albany NY	Joseph's House, Troy NY

* Facts about Hunger in New York State *

·         Fifty percent of households receiving emergency food assistance include at least one employed adult

·         America’s Second Harvest estimates that more than 900,000 New Yorkers rely on Emergency Food Programs (EFPs), or soup kitchens and food pantries, each week.

·         According to the New York State Department of Health, the total number of meals provided by soup kitchens increased by 3.9 million pounds (61%) from 1987 to 1996.

·         An estimated 340,080 children in NYS are hungry, according to the Nutrition Consortium of New York State.

·         During the summer months, the problem is more acute when children, who are most affected by hunger, don’t have access to school-based meals

·         Nearly 80,000 of those using the Food Pantries of the Capital Region were infants or children, 86,000 were adults and 13,500 were seniors.

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