A Single Bite Merges with Catskills Food Hub to Expand Access to Local Food and Nutrition Education in Sullivan County

[June 1, 2023 - Liberty, NY] A Single Bite announced today that it is merging with the Sullivan Catskills Regional Food Hub at the 5,000-square-foot facility in Liberty and assuming operations. This is the next step in community partnerships to make healthy, local food and nutrition education accessible to Sullivan County children and their families. 

A Single Bite, a nonprofit founded by Foster Supply Hospitality, provides free, nutritious meals while supporting community health by teaching students to care about the food they eat and where it comes from. The Real Food Education Program reaches 750 Sullivan County middle school students.  The school program comprises interactive sessions that engage, educate, and empower young people to make healthy choices whenever possible. Since 2020, the free, weekly Family Meal Program has provided more than 120,000 scratch-made dinners to Sullivan County children and their families. 

“This move will enable us to expand our current family meal and education programs and become an essential part of Sullivan County’s food economy by adding local food distribution to our core mission,” said Sims Foster, Co-Founder of A Single Bite and Chairperson of the newly formed Board of Directors.  “We deeply appreciate the strong foundation laid by past Catskills Food Hub Board members and volunteers,” adds Foster.

After installing a kitchen and new equipment in the Food Hub building, A Single Bite will fully relocate and assume operations later this year. It is also develop partnerships to support farm-to-school programs and an employer-subsidized CSA program, further supporting local agricultural partners in its community. 

A Single Bite executive director Audrey Garro said, “Too many Sullivan County children and families are at risk for poor health outcomes because they don’t eat a healthy diet. They lack access to nutritious food, financial means, nutrition education, or some combination thereof. Moving to the larger Liberty facility will allow us to prepare even more than the 700 weekly meals we currently deliver. And we will expand our Real Food Education Program.” The free, four-part experiential series introduces the concept of real versus processed food through classroom sessions, farm field trips, and restaurant visits.  “We intend to enhance our education component with Real Food - Real Futures, an apprenticeship program to cultivate food-centric interests, leadership skills, and career or college readiness,” said Garro. 

Since 2016, Catskill Food Hub has collaborated with a network of over 40 regional producers to aggregate, distribute, and sell farm-raised-and-grown meats and vegetables, prepared foods, baked goods, and other value-added products to restaurants, markets, schools, and individuals. 

The Sullivan County Industrial Development Agency owns the warehouse space and equipment at the Catskills Food Hub. “We are grateful to the Board members who have spent the past six years in service to what will now allow A Single Bite to more fully address food insecurity and take increase nutrition education further while offering a new employer-based CSA and supporting farm-to-school programs,” said IDA Chairperson Suzanne Loughlin.”