MONTICELLO, NY — Assembly Member Kay has partnered with Access: Supports for Living to bring the Access: Mobile Grocery unit to her district office in Monticello to help support constituents struggling to keep food on their table.

On October 19th the Access: Mobile Grocery will be parked outside of Assembly Member Kay’s Monticello Office, located at 461 Broadway, Monticello, from the hours of 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Along with the Mobile Grocery, staff from Access will be there who can assist people, with active Medicaid, connect to services such as housing, transportation, employment, mental health care, and addiction support. 

Throughout her term, Assembly Member Kay has prioritized addressing food insecurity in our community through her Thanksgiving and Back to School Meal Giveaways, the Comfort Closet housed in her office last winter and to be reinstalled at the end of this month, and the millions of dollars she has allocated to supporting organizations that feed our neighbors every day, including the Federation for the Homeless, A Single Bite, the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Sullivan 180. 

Assembly Member Kay said, “Clearly, throughout the last two years, I’ve focused a lot of my energy on fighting food insecurity head-on in our community. No one in Sullivan or Orange County should fear where their next meal is coming from or have to decide on a weekly basis between eating and keeping the lights on. Thankfully, my constituents and community partners have stepped up each time I’ve made a call to action, and this is no different. When the folks at Access approached me with their concept of meeting people where they are by providing a place for individuals to come and shop for free grocery items, I knew this was something that would be incredibly beneficial for my constituents.” Assembly Member Kay continued, “Thank you to the team at Access: Supports for Living for bringing the Mobile Grocery to our doorstep and giving us the opportunity to be involved. Additionally, I’d like to recognize and thank the Village of Monticello for being a willing and enthusiastic contributor as soon as I brought this idea to them.” 

“Good health begins with having access to the basics, and that includes fresh, nutritious food,” said Ronald J. Colavito, President and CEO of Access: Supports for Living. “Through our partnership with Hudson Valley Care Coalition, the Mobile Grocery helps remove barriers to healthy food while connecting people to other services that can improve their lives. We're grateful to Assembly Member Kay and the Village of Monticello for helping us bring this resource to Sullivan County. This is what strong community partnerships can accomplish when we work together to meet people where they are.” 

To find additional Access: Mobile Grocery sites throughout Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess Counties, visit AccessMobileGrocery.org