Inside the old fire house on South Main Street in Fairport is the volunteer-run Perinton Food Shelf, which provides “emergency” food assistance to patrons living within the 14450 zip code.
Patrons can receive food up to four times a year and all groceries are delivered directly to their homes by volunteers.
Who they help
Food shelf president Dave Conrad said the number of families needing assistance jumped in 2008 with the onset of the Great Recession.
In recent years, the number has slowly decreased, although families who find themselves in a lurch still continue to seek assistance from the food shelf.
“We now have more people fitting the ‘emergency’ relief category who might be out of work or unexpectedly have to pay for a car breaking down or a medical bill,” Conrad said. “In a lot of cases, it’s people who are doing OK when they suddenly need help.”
About half the patrons needing assistance live in the Pines of Perinton complex, Conrad said, but others come from right within the village and town of Perinton.
Gary Baccaro and his wife, Corrine, of Fairport, are among the many volunteers who see serving as a way to help their neighbors.
“You don’t have to look too far down the street to find somebody who’s got a problem,” said Gary.
The goods
Approximately 60 percent of all donations to the food shelf come from food drives at churches, schools and other community organizations, such as Scouts and fire and ambulance groups.
The 2012 holiday season yielded hundreds of donations, but the mission of the PFS doesn’t stop there.
“People still get hungry during the summer,” said Baccaro. “They don’t just get hungry during the holidays.”
To keep the goodwill moving in the warm months, canned goods and non-perishables are also collected at Perinton Town Hall year round.
Once donations arrive, they are sorted and organized by category and checked for damage or expiration. Money donations are used to buy fresh meat from Skip’s Market as well as milk, eggs and produce from Red Bird Market.
Who’s behind it
The PFS is staffed by a group of volunteers ranging in age from teens to retirees, and it isn’t unusual to see families serve together. The bustling facility is lined with shelves stocked with goods.
“I enjoy seeing people in the community be willing to give,” said Corrine Baccaro.
Her husband Gary agrees.
“When you get stories of people you’ve helped, it makes your day,” he said.
Inside the old fire house on South Main Street in Fairport is the volunteer-run Perinton Food Shelf, which provides “emergency” food assistance to patrons living within the 14450 zip code.
Patrons can receive food up to four times a year and all groceries are delivered directly to their homes by volunteers.
Who they help
Food shelf president Dave Conrad said the number of families needing assistance jumped in 2008 with the onset of the Great Recession.
In recent years, the number has slowly decreased, although families who find themselves in a lurch still continue to seek assistance from the food shelf.
“We now have more people fitting the ‘emergency’ relief category who might be out of work or unexpectedly have to pay for a car breaking down or a medical bill,” Conrad said. “In a lot of cases, it’s people who are doing OK when they suddenly need help.”
About half the patrons needing assistance live in the Pines of Perinton complex, Conrad said, but others come from right within the village and town of Perinton.
Gary Baccaro and his wife, Corrine, of Fairport, are among the many volunteers who see serving as a way to help their neighbors.
“You don’t have to look too far down the street to find somebody who’s got a problem,” said Gary.
The goods
Approximately 60 percent of all donations to the food shelf come from food drives at churches, schools and other community organizations, such as Scouts and fire and ambulance groups.
The 2012 holiday season yielded hundreds of donations, but the mission of the PFS doesn’t stop there.
“People still get hungry during the summer,” said Baccaro. “They don’t just get hungry during the holidays.”
To keep the goodwill moving in the warm months, canned goods and non-perishables are also collected at Perinton Town Hall year round.
Once donations arrive, they are sorted and organized by category and checked for damage or expiration. Money donations are used to buy fresh meat from Skip’s Market as well as milk, eggs and produce from Red Bird Market.
Who’s behind it
The PFS is staffed by a group of volunteers ranging in age from teens to retirees, and it isn’t unusual to see families serve together. The bustling facility is lined with shelves stocked with goods.
“I enjoy seeing people in the community be willing to give,” said Corrine Baccaro.
Her husband Gary agrees.
“When you get stories of people you’ve helped, it makes your day,” he said.
