Fulton County officials are preparing to distribute more food as federal funding to help people buy groceries dries up in the wake of a four-week government shutdown.

The plan includes a lot of sandwiches.

Andrea Fettinger, director of the Fulton County Office for Aging, told the county’s Human Services Committee on Tuesday she’s negotiating with a number of locations to house weekly distribution sites, where people who would otherwise receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, often called food stamps, could get food beyond what’s available at food pantries.

Federal funding for the program ends Saturday.

“We’re reaching out to individuals who this might help,” Fettinger said, but she doesn’t know how many will need the help, or take advantage of it.

The sites have not all been set, yet, either, she said, although she’s angling for some near senior housing, where residents and neighbors can get to it easily.

The plan is to distribute grab-and-go bags with one hot meal and four sandwiches — enough for five meals, Fettinger said. The bags will cost the county between $10 to $12 each.

“A lot of these people are the working poor,” said county Social Services Commissioner Anne Solar. The county oversees SNAP benefits for 4,000 households including 8,000 people, or nearly 20% of the county’s population.

Fettinger said she hopes to get the program up and running for at least the first three weeks of November, but the Thanksgiving holiday will mean short staffs and difficulties for the final week, when many people who need food often need it most.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced last week a $41 million injection into programs that help feed people, including $30 million to provide 16 million meals and $11 million for local food relief.

“While I’ve said repeatedly that no state can backfill these devastating cuts, I am committed to ensuring New Yorkers do not go hungry this holiday season and am taking action to support the families suffering the consequences of Republicans’ cruelty,” Hochul said.

On Tuesday, New York joined 24 other states and the District of Columbia in suing the federal government over food programs. Attorney General Letitia James said the decision to not make the SANP payments to 40 million Americans — 3 million in New York — violates federal law.

The coalition said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is legally required to continue providing benefits as long as it has funding, and the agency has access to billions of dollars in contingency funds

“Millions of Americans are about to go hungry because the federal government has chosen to withhold food assistance it is legally obligated to provide,” James said. “SNAP is one of our nation’s most effective tools to fight hunger, and the USDA has the money to keep it running. There is no excuse for this administration to abandon families who rely on SNAP, or food stamps, as a lifeline.”

In Fulton County, Administrative Officer Jon Stead told county supervisors he expects the county will need Fettinger’s efforts.

“I haven’t heard of a major break-through in the next day or two,” he said. “They’re still at loggerheads.”

Darryl White of Broadalbin puts a fresh coat of paint on the XA-3D1 Sky Warrior at Route 67 and Airport Road in the town of Johnstown.

Up to par

Saratoga Arts has announced the completion of several murals as part of New York State’s CHARM — Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals — initiative, a statewide program funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and supported by the Governor's Office. Dante Bouchard, who is a graduate of Gloversville High School, recently completed a mural at Elk Street Park in Gloversville.

Saratoga Arts has announced the completion of several murals.

Saratoga Arts has announced the completion of several murals as part of New York State’s CHARM — Cultivating Havens for the Arts through Regional Murals — initiative, a statewide program funded by the New York State Council on the Arts and supported by the Governor’s Office.

While the state’s initial charge was to install two murals in the Mohawk Valley region, Saratoga Arts implemented an expanded program spanning six counties, six artists and a documentary film that explores the power of public art and local connection.

“This is a rare opportunity,” said Spencer Sherry, community outreach and grants coordinator at Saratoga Arts. “We wanted to be intentional about how we carried out our portion of the program. We envisioned a version of this where we could let artists make a........

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