As the season of giving kicks off, two local organizations are fighting to feed the hungry as demand for emergency food relief grows.
Since 1981, the Perinton Food Shelf has been providing food relief for those living in the 14450 zip code area. And while donations are rolling in from collections at local schools and churches, Nancy Keith, president of the board of directors, says the amount of goodwill from the community is overwhelming.
“We have an overabundance of volunteers who we have to turn away,” she said.
Demand is the highest it’s ever been for the food shelf, which has seen a 50 percent increase in patrons this year alone. In October alone, they served 46 families, or 133 individuals.
“Many people think that since we live in an affluent area there would not be a need to provide emergency service,” said Keith.
But as unemployment and other factors continue plague struggling families, a growing number of families are reaching out for aid.
Foodlink, which serves as the regional foodbank for western and central New York, including Monroe County, saw an increase of more than 33 percent in patrons served between 2008 and 2010.
Nationally, 4.8 percent of all U.S. households accessed emergency food from a pantry at least once last year, and families that were “food insecure,” or could not rely on consistent food provision each week, comprised 14.7 percent of households in 2009, up slightly from the year before.
While the numbers may seem bleak, the volume of community support never runs low.
In Fairport, a team of 14 regular volunteers and 100 additional helpers sort donations, pack boxes and deliver groceries to clients each week. One such volunteer, Michelle Gorsica, 41, has worked at the food shelf since he was in ninth grade, and now has teenagers who also volunteer.
“Fairport rallies when there are people in need, and that’s why we love it here,” said Gorsica, who says she most enjoys giving back to her hometown in a practical way.
“It was a big eye-opener for me,” she said.
In addition to non-perishable donations, the Perinton Food Shelf takes contributions from local providers like Skip’s Market, Red Bird, Wegmans and Top’s.
Keith says the holiday season brings an overabundance of donations, but the biggest struggle is that people too often forget to continue their support in the spring and summer months when they are lowest.
“We need food all year round,” said Keith. “It’s not a school year kind of thing.”
As the season of giving kicks off, two local organizations are fighting to feed the hungry as demand for emergency food relief grows.
Since 1981, the Perinton Food Shelf has been providing food relief for those living in the 14450 zip code area. And while donations are rolling in from collections at local schools and churches, Nancy Keith, president of the board of directors, says the amount of goodwill from the community is overwhelming.
“We have an overabundance of volunteers who we have to turn away,” she said.
Demand is the highest it’s ever been for the food shelf, which has seen a 50 percent increase in patrons this year alone. In October alone, they served 46 families, or 133 individuals.
“Many people think that since we live in an affluent area there would not be a need to provide emergency service,” said Keith.
But as unemployment and other factors continue plague struggling families, a growing number of families are reaching out for aid.
Foodlink, which serves as the regional foodbank for western and central New York, including Monroe County, saw an increase of more than 33 percent in patrons served between 2008 and 2010.
Nationally, 4.8 percent of all U.S. households accessed emergency food from a pantry at least once last year, and families that were “food insecure,” or could not rely on consistent food provision each week, comprised 14.7 percent of households in 2009, up slightly from the year before.
While the numbers may seem bleak, the volume of community support never runs low.
In Fairport, a team of 14 regular volunteers and 100 additional helpers sort donations, pack boxes and deliver groceries to clients each week. One such volunteer, Michelle Gorsica, 41, has worked at the food shelf since he was in ninth grade, and now has teenagers who also volunteer.
“Fairport rallies when there are people in need, and that’s why we love it here,” said Gorsica, who says she most enjoys giving back to her hometown in a practical way.
“It was a big eye-opener for me,” she said.
In addition to non-perishable donations, the Perinton Food Shelf takes contributions from local providers like Skip’s Market, Red Bird, Wegmans and Top’s.
Keith says the holiday season brings an overabundance of donations, but the biggest struggle is that people too often forget to continue their support in the spring and summer months when they are lowest.
“We need food all year round,” said Keith. “It’s not a school year kind of thing.”
Just around the corner, a charitable effort is going strong at the East Rochester Resource Center. Needy individuals and families can not only get food, but clothing, furniture, and some even get help with their rent.
Teresa Quinzi-Willette is the director of the organization located on Chestnut Street. It receives funding from the village, as well as grants from Rochester Foodlink, but relies largely on the proceeds from the Salvation Army’s red kettle fundraisers, including the one at Top’s in Perinton.
“Basically, our budget comes from those kettles,” said Willette. “(The Salvation Army) is a big boost to us.”
And there’s no doubt every penny goes toward helping a worthy cause — in 2009, they fed more than 1,800 people in East Rochester alone (some patrons repeating from years past).
Through regular food and clothing drives sponsored by the school district, the East Rochester Association of Churches, needy families are able to receive three meals a day.
“It’s rewarding to see that we’ve helped so many people, and the fact that we can do it,” said Willette, who has been involved with the Resource Center for 25 years.
The team of volunteers includes teenagers doing community service and others who put in hours to organize food and clothing donations during the week. A team of 21 volunteers even provide transportation for those who need it.
This holiday season, the organization is partnering with the East Rochester Fire Department and a number of churches in the village to deliver food and gift baskets to local families. The big delivery will take place Monday, Dec. 20, and Willette says the excitement of this outreach is a reflection of the people who help make it a reality.
“The people in this town are so generous,” said Willette. “They’re beautiful.”
