Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Help for residents affected by the Tops shooting on Jefferson Avenue will continue beyond the scheduled end of Friday. Two organizations say they will continue helping residents until at least early this summer.
FeedMore WNY's Catherine Shick says her organization's commitment to the Jefferson Avenue community will continue. She says a plan is in place to extend food distribution. On Saturday, May 28, FeedMore WNY will hold a distribution at the Resource Council of WNY from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
· Future weekly distributions will take place twice per week through July 8:
Every Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Resource Council of WNY (through July 6)
Every Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Johnnie B. Wiley Pavilion (through July 8)
"We will continue to work with the county and our community partners and respond to the need as as it continues to arise," says Shick. She also strongly encourages you to take advantage of existing resources like the food pantry network in the area, as well as Meals on Wheels services if they have eligibility criteria to meet those services. "We will continue to work with the county, work with our community partners and work with the community members themselves to determine what response is appropriate as we continue to evolve with the situation," adds Shick.
Over at the Resource Council of WNY on East Ferry, "Our commitment to the community is as long as it takes," says Rev. Terry King. He says there are two aspects to his group's commitment. "One, there's critical support for the victims and the families and those that have been impacted in the region by that by that event, as well as the food distribution," says King. He anticipates the food distribution component will continue into the summer. "It may not be on a daily basis, but certainly, it's going to be on a weekly basis, minimally three times a day," says King.
Beyond early July, King says he's waiting to hear where Tops is in the process of the store. "We're hopeful that by early part of July, we'll have some other answers and dates. And if we need to extend beyond that in to the summer, we're in this for the community," adds King.
King says he's not sure what a permanent plan will look like. "Staff is now beginning to you know, really look at a long term plan," says King. He says he is grateful to the community for the outpouring of support he calls overwhelming.
