Revamped food pantry at Fort Wadsworth to provide Coast Guard personnel with needed supplies

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York’s cost of living can be astronomical, and on Tuesday, officials unveiled a revamped food pantry at Fort Wadsworth that will help provide Coast Guard personnel with a bit of relief just in time for the holidays.

The Craig Newmark New York Tri-State Chapter of Blue Star Families, a non-profit organization that supports military families, led a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the pantry stocked full with supplies.

Erica Newhouse, the executive director of the local Blue Star Families chapter, said the pantry had already been in operation for a few years, but they hoped to make it a more inviting space for service men, women and their families.

To that end, Blue Star Families, in partnership with volunteer groups and using donated supplies, refurbished the space with new countertops, cabinets and flooring.

“I thought…let’s make it beautiful up here for families. The pantry is here to stay, so let’s make it more permanent,” she said. “And in doing that, bring more awareness to food insecurity within the military.”

Most members of the armed forces aren’t wealthy, and when someone gets stationed in the five boroughs, adjusting to the local cost of living can be a challenge, particularly on Staten Island.

Local service members are grouped with New Jersey for cost of living adjustments, so those serving at bases in the four other boroughs actually receive higher wages than those on Staten Island.

Capt. Zeita Merchant, the commanding officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York, said the revamped space provides a more welcoming location for service members, and easier access to supplies. Merchant said that her own grocery shopping usually requires a half hour drive to a supermarket on…