Heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures disrupted food and shelter services across Syracuse last weekend, forcing organizations to adjust operations to protect people without housing and those living in poverty.
“Three times now, we have had to close the agency,” said Beth Hurny-Fricano, the executive director of Meals on Wheels Syracuse, an organization that provides meals to seniors and those with disabilities.
The number of homeless in Syracuse, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the state, has doubled in the past two years, increasing the number of people exposed to dangerous cold during this weekend’s storm. Local organizations said this, with the harsh winter storm, increased demand for services and created logistical challenges for staff and volunteers…