A MOVE TO HEALTHIER LIVING

Catholic Charities really is on the MOVE!

And this is a good thing for needy New Yorkers in rural communities who are challenged to find healthy and nutritious food.

On Tuesday, Nov. 19, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany - in partnership with St. Mary’s Healthcare, CDPHP, and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY - officially launched its Mobile Outreach Vehicle Extension (CC MOVE) with a ribbon cutting and blessing of the CC MOVE RV.

“When you say the Catholic Diocese of Albany, you think the capital city, and that’s not the case. If anything, we’re a pretty rural area throughout the area,” said Vincent W. Colonno, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany. “And as a result of that, we’re able to partner with so many people. Simply because we all have the same goal, which is serving people, so we can all help them get on their way and hopefully live a thriving life.”

The mobile initiative, the first of its kind in the history of Catholic Charities and which started in November of 2018, identifies and addresses gaps in services across the region, connecting people not only with nutritious food, but resources and information on how to schedule an appointment for mobile case management. In rural areas, services that many people take for granted, such as public transportation, are generally lacking. With the Diocese of Albany spanning more than 10,000 square miles across 14 counties, more than 34,000 individuals in rural counties are served by Catholic Charities each year.

Eileen Spath, marketing and communications director of Catholic Charities in the Albany Diocese, added that the vehicle also could be used for medical screenings in the future.

“It provides a private area for people, so when they are on their own there's some privacy there, where if somebody wants to get health screening done, it’s a safe place they can go and meet with someone,” Spath said.

Vic Giulianelli, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare, said the idea of CC MOVE began with a short phone call about food insecurity between two Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Sister Betsy Van Deusen, Catholic Charities director of community partnerships, and Sister Joan Mary Hartigan, St. Mary’s healthcare chief mission officer.

In November of 2018, St. Mary’s of Amsterdam partnered with Catholic Charities and CDPHP to start the program in Fulton and Montgomery counties. With the support of Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY, they’ve organized “food drops” or mass distribution food services once a month in identified local “food deserts,” or areas with limited access to healthy and nutritious food. The owner of Alpin House, Andy Heck, worked with Catholic Charities to provide the RV, which was acquired in July of 2019, along with storage for winter nights. Collaborating with the Regional Food Bank, volunteers unload pallets of food from the RV which is then organized into stations for clients to pick from.

CC MOVE partners with a wide variety of local organizations within the areas they serve. Many times, health fairs are held in local churches, such as at St. Mary’s in Amsterdam, which is located across the street from Centro Civico, a non-profit based in Montgomery County, which specializes in administering funds, delivering vital services and housing initiatives to the Latino Community.

Wilhelmina Murray-Davis, Director at Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, said the driving point in CC MOVE’s success comes down to community organizations collaborating together to serve those in need. Since the launch, CC MOVE has provided over three tons of food to its clients; the last food distribution, which is held once a month, in November brought in over 310 people.

“This is really a community coming together to make this happen and the fact that we reached so many people shows there is a need,” Murray-Davis said.