Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Thanksgiving is just a little more than a week away, and FeedMore WNY is asking people to donate food for families in need.
Collin Bishop with FeedMore says they rely on help from the community all year round, but during the holiday season, they need all of the help that they can get.
"There's a lot of different ways community members can get involved. If you see a drive that's going on in the holiday season and you're able to make a donation of a non-perishable item, that's one way you can help," stated Bishop in an interview with WBEN. "If that's not as easy for you, but you can make a monetary contribution, we'll use that money to then purchase the food ourselves through our food bank distribution network."
Bishop highlighted the importance of often-overlooked essentials that they need.
"Some of the staples that you may not think of - canned proteins, like tuna, chicken, as well as peanut butter, and any kind of tree nuts. Those are very important in terms of a healthy diet, and they're things that we can always use. They're non-perishable," stated Bishop. "We're sorting them and packing them up and sending them out to those partner agencies, and that way, you know wherever you're donating from, your donation is going to end up somewhere in Western New York - Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus County."
For anyone who is looking to go the extra mile, Bishop says there's also volunteer opportunities.
"We need volunteers year round for all kinds of different events. Whether it's an event where we're raising money, whether it's distribution, where we need volunteers to help with that, like our home delivered meals program. We're always in need of people who can take an hour out of their day to deliver meals to seniors. And we're always looking for people who can volunteer in our warehouse. Some of the things that you're doing there would be sorting the donated product as it comes in and packing out the donated product," stated Bishop.
To find out where to donate and how to volunteer, go to feedmorewny.org.