Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Feedmore WNY is partnering with Erie County, Resource Council of WNY and other local community partners to continue their efforts to provide the Buffalo community effected by the Jefferson Avenue shooting and the food desert food and other resources via emergency food distribution.
"Feedmore Western New York will continue to fight hate in this community. Through acts of love and kindness. We envision a future where everyone is treated with dignity and where food access and equity are human rights. Upper Room Church of God and Christ where we're here today has been a partner food pantry of Feedmore Western New York serving this community and helping work towards that goal for nearly 30 years. Most recently, our partners at the Resource Council and the County of Erie have joined us to continue to spread that message and work to help people who are in need of food assistance," said Feedmore WNY's Catherine Shick.
"We began working with these partners immediately following the tragedy on May 14 and we continue to work daily with them to assess and meet the needs of our community. As these strategies evolve, we have seen that our network of food pantries and dining sites, 11 of which are within a three quarter of a mile radius of Tops on Jefferson Avenue, have the capacity and infrastructure to provide nutritious food and essential items to our neighbors needing those resources," Shick said.
Emergency food distributions are being made available at the Resource Council on 347 East Ferry Street every Wednesday through July 6th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and May 28th 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.- Resource Council WNY, 347 East Ferry Street, Every Wednesday through July 6th 3 - 7 p.m. and May 28th 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Food distributions will also be made available at Johnnie B. Wiley Pavilion on 1100 Jefferson Avenue every Friday through July 8th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Western New York Resource Council President Catherine Roberts announced more services for the community including more days.
The Resource Council along with our partners Feedmore WNY, Tops Markets and other vendors will be expanding our food distribution days on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 2 p.m. to 7p.m. and we will do so through July 8. In addition, indoors at the Resource Council of Western New York, we have a coalition of nonprofit partners for assisting families in need of other critical services including grief counseling, mental health counseling, access to health services and utility payments. You can pay National Grid, you can pay National Fuel and Spectrum. You can also get assistance with heat and other services as well. We want to make sure that the community knows that we are grieving with them, and we will be with them throughout this as we heal together," said Roberts.
Erie County Executive Marc Poloncarz noted that the Biden Administration is going to promote a Resiliency Center in Buffalo with more being announced in the upcoming weeks.
"I want to note that Biden administration has already sent in to Buffalo and our team has actually been working with them in the last few days to the Department of Justice's Victim Assistance Program, a special technical team, which is going to be setting up and announcing very soon our Resiliency Center because this is not going to be short term, it's going to be long term. I say long term, months, potentially years that people are going to need help, especially on the mental health side, we can probably resolve the issues with food a lot quicker than we can the issues with the mental health needs and the grieving and in the discussions and counseling that people are going to get to have," said Poloncarz.
If you want to donate or need access to food assistance programs contact Feedmore WNY at (716) 822-2002 or visit the website at feedmorewny.org.
"I can say the numbers are alarming in terms of the number of people who need access to food every day. We were serving 1100 on a daily basis between 1100 to 1200 individuals and families and that is one of the reasons why we had the conversation and worked with FeedMore and Tops Markets to see how we can expand our food distribution from one day to three days through July the eighth," said Roberts.