the next storm system arrives on Sunday. The holiday train is going to make it’s way through Northern New York tonight. It’s become a tradition for a lot of local families. But the mission behind it is more than just holiday spirit. NBC5’s Blake McQueary is live in Port Henry… BLAKE, it looked like a packed crowd for the trains arrival earlier tonight. THE TRAIN HERE ARRIVED JUST MOMENTS AGO, AROUND 5:45. AND AS PEOPLE COME OUT TO SEE THE LIGHTS AND HEAR THE MUSIC THEY’RE ALSO HELPING OUT NEIGHBORS IN NEED. STOPPING THROUGH THE NORTH COUNTRY…THE HOLIDAY TRAIN FILLS communities ACROSS NORHTERN NEW YORK WITH THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT and it each STATION… it’s also opportunity to help stock local food shelves – like Plattsburgh’s JCEO. FOR ST PATRICK CHURCH’S FOOD SHELF IN ROUSES POINT…THE PANTRY relies HEAVILY ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT BUT THE HOLIDAY TRAIN’S CONTRIBUTION COMES AT A TIME WHEN IT’S MOST NEEDED ORGANIZERS SAY AS GROCERY COSTS INCREASE…THE TRAFFIC FOR FOOD DRIVES AND PANTRIES GO UP AS WELL…ESPECIALLY AS THE WEATHER GETS COLD/ But they say community’s generosity helps make it a little bit easier for those in need. AFTER THE TRAIN LEAVES HERE IN PORT HENRY IT WILL BE ON ITS WAY TO PLATTSBURGH, BEFOR
CPKC Holiday Train makes way through Northern New York while supporting local food shelves
The train brings the Holiday spirit to local communities while donating to local food banks
Updated: 8:03 PM EST Nov 26, 2025
The holiday train made its way through Northern New York on Wednesday, Nov. 26. It’s become a tradition for a lot of local families, and the mission behind it is more than just holiday spirit. Stopping through the North Country every year, the holiday train fills communities across Northern New York with the Christmas spirit, and at each station, it also stocks local food shelves, like Plattsburgh’s JCEO.”It’s just, it kind of gives the holiday a little bit of, a boost as far as, like, just to getting us into that spirit,” JCEO Community Outreach Director Lisa Goodrow said. “Because it seems like neighbors are really stepping up to help their neighbors and provide us the support that we need to make sure that everyone that we serve has an adequate amount of food.”For St. Patrick’s Church’s food shelf in Rouses Point, the pantry relies heavily on community support.”They get a number of people from the area coming in and needing to use the food shelf,” St. Patrick’s Church Business Manager, Jo-Anne Ryan, said. “And then our parishioners are super helpful, and they drop off food every week, as well as different organizations who bring food and also drop off donations to us.”The holiday train’s contribution comes at a time when it’s most needed. Every year, giving several hundreds of pounds of food to the food shelf.”It’s not just for food, even though it’s the food shelf. If somebody comes with a need, we have the money to help them. And that’s the key right there,” Ryan said. “It helps for lots of purposes, but they’ve been so helpful to us, and we just, it’s just the best time of year for us to really make a difference.”Organizers say as grocery costs increase, the traffic for food drives and pantries go up as well. Especially as the weather gets cold, but they say the community’s generosity helps make it a little bit easier for those in need.”The beginning of the month is a little less strenuous in the food pantry, I guess. And then as we get to the end of the month, it seems like there’s there’s just a little bit more need,” Goodrow said. “I think people have, you know, are running out of the, the money that they’ve stretched, towards the end of the month.”
PORT HENRY, N.Y. —
The holiday train made its way through Northern New York on Wednesday, Nov. 26. It’s become a tradition for a lot of local families, and the mission behind it is more than just holiday spirit.
Stopping through the North Country every year, the holiday train fills communities across Northern New York with the Christmas spirit, and at each station, it also stocks local food shelves, like Plattsburgh’s JCEO.
“It’s just, it kind of gives the holiday a little bit of, a boost as far as, like, just to getting us into that spirit,” JCEO Community Outreach Director Lisa Goodrow said. “Because it seems like neighbors are really stepping up to help their neighbors and provide us the support that we need to make sure that everyone that we serve has an adequate amount of food.”
For St. Patrick’s Church’s food shelf in Rouses Point, the pantry relies heavily on community support.
“They get a number of people from the area coming in and needing to use the food shelf,” St. Patrick’s Church Business Manager, Jo-Anne Ryan, said. “And then our parishioners are super helpful, and they drop off food every week, as well as different organizations who bring food and also drop off donations to us.”
The holiday train’s contribution comes at a time when it’s most needed. Every year, giving several hundreds of pounds of food to the food shelf.
“It’s not just for food, even though it’s the food shelf. If somebody comes with a need, we have the money to help them. And that’s the key right there,” Ryan said. “It helps for lots of purposes, but they’ve been so helpful to us, and we just, it’s just the best time of year for us to really make a difference.”
Organizers say as grocery costs increase, the traffic for food drives and pantries go up as well. Especially as the weather gets cold, but they say the community’s generosity helps make it a little bit easier for those in need.
“The beginning of the month is a little less strenuous in the food pantry, I guess. And then as we get to the end of the month, it seems like there’s there’s just a little bit more need,” Goodrow said. “I think people have, you know, are running out of the, the money that they’ve stretched, towards the end of the month.”