www.foodbankwny.orgSPRING 2016 BEACON NEWSLETTER

Tragedy struck my life two years ago. My daughter died unexpectedly, leaving no one but me to raise her children – who range from age two to 14, including a set of five-year-old twins. Coping with the death of a daughter and five new mouths to feed is tough. But I didn’t ask for a dime, I just stretched the dollars I earned as a full-time caregiver to the max – until I lost my job.

I wanted to provide everything I could to my grandchildren, but after losing my job, I would lie awake wondering how I was going to feed them. That uncertainty – it’s not a good feeling.

I learned about the food pantry through a friend of mine who saw me struggling. I didn’t go right away because I was ashamed. But then I realized shame wasn’t going to feed these children. When I showed up at the food pantry, they took care of me. Since then, I’ve never had to worry about feeding my grandchildren. The food pantry has been my angel.

The past couple of years have been tough on all of us. We have our bad days, but we have our good days too. The support I receive from the food pantry has helped me get through, and so has the joy I find in my grandchildren. Every time I look in their eyes, I see a part of my daughter in them – and I know she’ll always be with us. Life sure has thrown us a hard ball, but if we hang in there and stick together, things will be all right. I know eventually, we’re going to come out on top.

FEEDING hopeFEEDING hopeMercedes’ Story

The support I receive from the food pantry has

helped me get through...

We at the Food Bank of Western New York are grateful to our supporters for keeping our hungry families in your hearts and minds year-round.

We know that with the holiday season long past, and with news of job creation and economic growth occurring in the Buffalo area, it can be easy to forget that many of our neighbors still need our help.

Unfortunately, hunger and poverty remain a major problem in Western New York. In fact, Buffalo was named one of the top 10 “most distressed large cities” in the nation in a new report by the Economic Innovation Group. The same report also singled out Erie County for its widening gap between prosperous and poor

neighborhoods. In other words, while parts of the Buffalo region are making a comeback, many of our community members are left behind.

Hunger is 365 days a year, and throughout the year, the number of people who need our services can vary depending on seasons and circumstances. During times of heightened need, the Food Bank assists as many as 129,000 individuals in any given month, including 45,000 children, and more than 44,000 households. Perhaps most distressing is the fact that the number of seniors being assisted can be as high as 17,000 in any given month.

Yet these individuals are more than just a statistic. The face of hunger belongs to people like Mercedes, who has to raise her grandchildren unexpectedly. It belongs to our seniors on fixed incomes, and our working families trying hard to make ends meet.

We appreciate everything you continue to do for our hungry neighbors. It is because of your dedicated support that we are able to fight hunger one day at a time.

Marylou BorowiakPresident & CEO

2015-16BOARD OF DIRECTORSEXECUTIVE COMMITTEEJohn F. Dunbar, Jr., Chairperson Emeritus University at Buffalo School of Management Tom Berical, CPA, ChairpersonFreed Maxick CPAs, P.C.Michael J. Prendergast, Vice ChairpersonM&T BankJerry Sheldon, SecretaryHabitat for Humanity - BuffaloKevin Darrington, TreasurerTops Markets, LLC

BOARD MEMBERSBrian BockettiLippes Mathias Wexler Friedman, LLPKeith R. BookbinderLougen Valenti Bookbinder & Weintraub LLPAllen BrownGeneral MillsSarah Jane BurkeRich Products CorporationGlenn A. ButlerPersonal Touch Food Service, Inc.Martha Buyer, Esq.Law Offices of Martha Buyer, PLLCDavid CrispO-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative, Inc.Eric J. DeckerIndependent Health AssociationCarol DeNysschenBuffalo State College John Eagleton Evans Bank Stephanie GeterBuffalo State CollegeVincent O. HanleyBond, Schoeneck & King, PLLCWilliam J. Mahoney, Jr.LPCiminelliRamon MoralesSEFCUMichael NowickiBank of AmericaJamel PerkinsSodexo, StartUP State Ventures, Canisius CollegePeter J. Renkas Evans BankScott C. TerhaarValueCentric LLCTim WanglerWegmans Food Markets, Inc.

FOOD BANK OFFICERMarylou Borowiak, President & CEOFood Bank of WNY

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

FOR HELPING US CHECK OUT HUNGER!We are so grateful to the Western New York community for supporting our annual Check Out Hunger campaigns! Because of your generosity, Check Out Hunger raised more than $755,000, which will help provide more than 4.4 million meals for our neighbors in need!

This year’s Check Out Hunger was made possible thanks to our friends at Dash’s Market, Market in the Square, Tops Friendly Markets and Wegmans Food Markets, who held their Check Out Hunger campaigns in February, and our friends at Premier Gourmet, Premier Wine & Spirits and Price Rite, who held their campaigns in November and December.

If you still want to help Check Out Hunger, Lexington Cooperative Market in Buffalo is holding its campaign from April 26 through May 23. Shoppers have the option of adding $2, $3 or $5 to their grocery bill in order to help feed hungry families.

Thank youThank you

Wegmans Food Markets and WIVB News 4/CW23 WNLO will team up with the Food Bank for the third annual “Fill the BackPack” campaign to collect food for children in need. From June 5-19, Wegmans shoppers throughout the Food Bank’s four-county service area will be able to purchase non-perishable food items and pre-packaged bags of food to support the BackPack Program, which helps students who rely on free or reduced-priced meals at school by providing them with take-home bags of food each Friday throughout the school year. During the 2015-2016 school year, more than 1,500 children in 30 schools participated in the BackPack Program.

FILL THE BACKPACKFILL THE BACKPACK

Upcoming EventsU pcoming EventsJUNE 5-19, 2016JUNE 5-19, 2016 Wegmans locations throughout Western New York

This fun, family-friendly event, presented by Uncle Bob’s Self Storage, will feature great food, children’s activities, basket auctions, a silent auction, music and more! Registration for the 1.9-mile walk is $25 per person. Children ages 16 and younger are free to attend. All proceeds will benefit the Food Bank to help serve hungry local families. Walk Off Hunger and Summerfest is co-hosted by Calvary Episcopal Church and Congregation Shir Shalom. To learn about Walk Off Hunger sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mike Billoni, Business Development and Sponsorship Coordinator, at 935-6677. To register and begin fundraising for Walk Off Hunger, visit www.foodbankwny.org. Teams of walkers are encouraged!

WALK OFF HUNGER AND SUMMERFESTWALK OFF HUNGER AND SUMMERFESTSATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 FROM 10 A.M.- 2 P.M.WALK TO BEGIN AT 11 A.M.SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 FROM 10 A.M.- 2 P.M.WALK TO BEGIN AT 11 A.M.Island Park in Williamsville

Presented byPresented byOur Diamond SponsorsOur Diamond Sponsors

Food Bank of WNY 91 Holt Street

Buffalo, New York 14206Phone: (716) 852-1305

Fax: (716) 852-7858Email: info@foodbankwny.org

To learn more or to make a secure donation to the Food Bank of WNY, visit www.foodbankwny.org.

OUR MISSIONOUR MISSIONObtain nutritious food and support from public and private sources and efficiently distribute these resources to the hungry in Western New York

through our member agencies.

Respectfully provide food, training, education and hunger advocacy for

our member agencies and their clients.

You may obtain a copy of the latest financial statement filed with the NYS Department of Law Charities Bureau - Registration Section, by contacting the department at 120 Broadway, New York, New York

10271. It is also available at the Food Bank of WNY, 91 Holt Street, Buffalo, New York 14206 or on our website, www.foodbankwny.org.

Discrimination and harassment on any basis, including, but not limited to age, race creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military

status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic violence victim status, history of a criminal record, or any other

protected characteristic as established by law will not be tolerated.

15-FBWNY-0416-N

Through our Food for Tomorrow Society, you can make the long-term commitment of a planned gift to create a personal legacy in support of the Food Bank of Western New York.

For more information about the Food for Tomorrow Society, please contact Mike Billoni, Business Development and Sponsorship Coordinator, at (716) 935-6677.

I had the benefit of watching my father give back to the less fortunate in his neighborhood. The smiles on their faces were only surpassed by the smile on his.

– Russel J. Salvatore, Food for Tomorrow Society member

OUR VISIONOUR VISION

CONTACT USCONTACT US

BECOME A MEMBER OF

The Hunger Heroes Club is a monthly giving program that allows you to easily assist the Food Bank of WNY year-round with regular monthly donations from your credit card, debit card, checking or savings account. Your ongoing support will help the Food Bank of WNY plan for the year ahead, budgeting and allocating resources to make sure our families in need have consistent access to nutritious foods.

You have the power to make a difference. Your $10 donation helps provide 60 MEALS in our community!

To learn more, please call Kelly O’Neil, Marketing and Development Manager, at (716) 935-6675.

The Food Bank of WNY is grateful for our dedicated volunteers who help us fight hunger one day at a time! In celebration of National Volunteer Month, which just wrapped up in April, we would like to recognize University at Buffalo’s Circle K Club for their work sorting and packing food to help feed hungry local families.

Since 2012, 163 UB Circle K members volunteered a total of 363 hours at the Food Bank, sorting and packing nearly 34,000 POUNDS OF FOOD to be distributed to our neighbors in need.

We thank UB Circle K and all of our amazing volunteers for their work in the fight against hunger!

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: UB CIRCLE K

UB Circle K volunteer Alex Webber sorts nonperishables at the Food Bank.

CREATE YOUR legacyTHROUGH THE