Last week, Hudson Valley Community Power (HVCP) donated thousands of dollars to two Marbletown organizations to reward them for all the residents who signed up for community solar. The Marbletown Trails Committee received a $9,000 check to complete a new walking trail that will connect RidgeWell Fitness, in Stone Ridge to Ulster County Community College. Another check was cut for the Rondout Valley Food Pantry for $1,600 to help feed the community during the pandemic.

Community solar subscriptions allow residents to receive discounts on their electric bill while supporting local solar farms. For each resident who signed up, $50 would be donated to “local relief efforts,” according to a press release from HVCP. Initially all funds were allocated to the Trails Committee, but the town and HVCP agreed that the money would be best used at the food pantry in light of the pandemic.

The roughly quarter-mile walking path created by the Trails Committee will require minimal tree cutting and be filled in with a thumb-width layer of gravel, explained committee member Carl Pezzino. The committee also plans to clear an area for 10 to 20 new parking spaces, behind RidgeWell Fitness, for hikers and to act as overflow spaces for the Community Center across the street. Pezzino explained that the connecting path is a small piece of a larger effort to connect Stone Ridge and High Falls in a loop along with the O&W Rail Trail.

“We consider all of our trails as linear parks,” Pezzino said. “It’s not just a walking path, it’s a way to get out into nature.”

Pezzino said foot traffic on local trails has nearly tripled since the pandemic began in March, making the trail a worthy investment. He also noted that the project is only at the earliest stage and still requires approval from the town and planning boards. They must also secure permission from RidgeWell Fitness to allow access to the proposed lot, which must be accessed through the gym’s driveway. And while the community solar check they received won’t cover the entire cost of the project, which is yet to be determined, it will subsidize a decent chunk of the work.

The Rondout Valley Food Pantry check was a much-needed shot in the arm to keep operations running smoothly, said Food Pantry board member Charlotte Knapp. Since March, the pantry served 15,032 individuals, equaling 132,288 meals overall. Pantry clients are allowed to get three days’ worth of food every week, as opposed to receiving bags every three weeks before COVID-19. Families with children are given three days of food each week for every child in the household. While these bags typically range from $20 to $40 per delivery, the bill adds up along with the number of clients. The pantry also switched to a delivery-only service in March, forcing them to reimburse drivers for gasoline used.

“We really rely on donations for the money we need to continue our efforts,” Knapp said.

When donations are scarce, this forces pantry workers to run out to local stores to buy more supplies. Knapp said that bread is a hot-ticket item which can overflow the pantry’s shelves one week and then disappear the next. Personal care items like shampoo, toothpaste, diapers and wipes are also items that the pantry often has to pay for out of pocket. She encouraged any and all donations from the community to help meet the pantry’s increased needs.

As more local residents choose to sign up for community solar, the HVCP plans to donate more money to local food pantries and other notable causes.