BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — An estimated one in nine New Yorkers will face hunger at one point throughout the year. But one group in the Southern Tier is continuing to fight that after their busiest year on record.

Boxes of food are loaded onto a truck, ready to be given to those in need. It’s something the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse in Binghamton has been doing since 1967. But in 2023, CHOW was more important than ever.

“At the tail end of last year, we started seeing the inflation skyrocket," said Les Aylesworth, director of CHOW. "That was no surprise. And if you've gone shopping any time, you know, stores are expensive these days, it's just reality. And then in the spring, when they cut stamp benefits, it was a double whammy."

That means more people facing food insecurity across the state than ever before. At CHOW, it’s led to a record number of donations, to the tune of more than 3 million pounds of food. That’s 40% more than in 2022.

"It says two things. One, it says we're in dire straits," said Aylesworth. "There's a huge need out there. But it also says that we have a community who's willing to step up and help us."

Lynne Green has been doing just that for years. At nearly 80 years old, she spends every morning at CHOW, helping pack food for 110 food pantries and shelters in the Southern Tier. Giving back is all she’s ever known.

"It's so important because I came from a family ... we had nothing and my mother came from Russia and I grew up in the south where people did not have anything," said Green.

Most of the food from the CHOW warehouse is purchased through donations. But just like the community they serve, getting food hasn’t always been easy.

"For the last three, four years, we've been dealing with supply chain issues as it is," said Aylesworth. "And then you factor in inflation. We've had to travel farther, more often to get food, to make sure our shelves are filled.”

That means trips across the border to Pennsylvania, and even as far as Buffalo. But even with the challenges, volunteers like Green come back day after day.

“CHOW is to help anybody at any place, at any time of their lives," said Green, "whether you're young, you're old, whether you're black, white or even green."

It's a community coming together when the community needs it most.

"It's always beautiful to see neighbors looking out for neighbors. And that's what it's all about," Aylesworth said.

According to Feeding America, more than 2 million people are currently facing hunger in New York. Of those, 633,000 are children.