INSPIRE

KAREN BELCHER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL NEW YORK

Jason Klaiber A fter the executive director post at Food Bank of Central New York opened up in January of this year, the idea of filling the vacancy in an official capacity seemed furthest from Karen Belcher’s mind.

The staff member of 19 years still took the helm in the interim, but she looked forward to someone else stepping in once the food bank’s search committee finished reviewing applications.

In March, however, things took a turn when the country entered lockdowns in response to a growing number of coronavirus cases.

According to the food bank’s board president Mark Ciaralli, Belcher dealt with the uncertainty brought on by the crisis through hard work and “exceptional performance,” helping to facilitate open lines of communication with affiliated agencies like pantries, soup kitchens and social services organizations while thinking of fallback options in case any of these partners halted operations.

With many people in the community left without a job or a steady income, the food bank sent out more shipments of food than usual, at times making contactless deliveries to those avoiding the grocery store or trips outside the house altogether.

From March through August, the food bank distributed over 13 million pounds of food, representing roughly a 63 percent increase in comparison to the same six-month time frame in 2019.

Over the past several months, the food bank has also elevated focus throughout its 11-county service area to what Belcher calls “non-traditional” collaborations, including work with colleges, libraries and other establishments that exist

outside of the food bank’s typical distribution model.

Belcher’s leadership through the spring and summer in turn convinced her that she could take on the role of executive director, so she decided to submit an application to be on the list of candidates. “I threw my hat in the ring, and I guess the rest is history,” Belcher said.

She was named to the position on Sept. 10, becoming the successor to Kathleen Stress, who left the food bank to join the Onondaga Community College Foundation.

“It’s exciting,” Belcher said. “I’m proud and humbled by being able to be executive director for the food bank.”

Belcher said the years she spent under the guidance of former executive directors Tom Slater and Stress taught her how to run an organization and manage staff.

“They’re a big reason why I am in this position now,” Belcher said. “They have both been huge mentors to me in my professional career.”

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in finance from SUNY Institute of Technology, Belcher worked for a bookkeeping office before stints at Catholic Charities and later the public accounting firm Dannible & McKee.

Knowing she wanted to pursue the non-profit route instead of accounting, Belcher interviewed for and secured the role of controller at Food Bank of Central New York in 2001.

Her passion for the organization grew significantly as time went on, to the point where she was certain it was one of her missions in life to provide food for people in need.

“To know I was helping a family or a senior or a child to hopefully have a hot, nutritious meal at the end of the day was rewarding,” Belcher said. She eventually headed up the financial management side of the food bank, a duty that involved overseeing annual audits, grants, budgets and bimonthly meetings. In 2014, she became Chief Operating Officer.

In moving from interim executive director to the permanent position, Belcher has begun formulating her vision for the future of the food bank.

“When you’re interim, you kind of hang back and don’t impose too much of that because someone else is potentially coming in,” she said.

Belcher said her vision would call for the formation of more partnerships with foundations in the community, allowing the food bank to provide nourishment for people separately seeking mental health support or financial assistance, for example.

“As you look at hunger, it’s a piece of what someone may be facing in their life, so it’s one bucket out of maybe 10 that they may have around them,” Belcher said.

Food Bank of Central New York also offers nutrition training, recipe demonstrations and a range of assistance programs, such as its Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), which ensures that low-income children continue to receive breakfast and lunch during their summer break from school. Another program refers individuals to outreach coordinators who then assist them with food stamp applications and recertification. For more information, visit foodbankcny.org. SWM

Belcher resides in Mexico, New York, with her husband of 22 years and their two daughters. Her hobbies include gardening, baking and canning.