Food Bank

As the regional food bank, we are proud of our efforts to rescue and redistribute food to help our neighbors in need. The core of food banking is based on the premise that in a country with such abundance, how can so many people go hungry? Even today with all of the technological advancements in the food industry, 25% of pre-consumer food goes to waste- amounting to over 96 billion pounds of food each year.

The food we rescue, which is unsalable but safe, comes from a variety of sources. Local manufacturers including Motts, Barilla, Seneca Foods, and LiDestri may donate if there are imperfections in their recipe or packaging. Local growers offer gleaning opportunities to gather the last of the harvest that might otherwise go to waste in the field. Community groups hold food drives to help out their neighbors in needs. And our largest donor, Wegmans, provides us with over 7 million pounds of food each year that is unsalable due to damaged packaging or code dates. Our team of dedicated volunteers cull through this product to sort out the unsafe food and ensure that the rest can meet the needs of our community.