Community Foundation Grant Supports Expansion at Food Bank Distribution Center
Friday, June 14, 2024
$30,000 Award Will Help Increase Capacity, Storage While Eliminating Waste
WATERTOWN — A $30,000 Community Foundation grant is helping the Food Bank of Central New
York expand its Interstate Island Road distribution center to more effectively help neighbors in need across
the North Country and its 11-county service area.
In Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties, the Food Bank partners with 70 different food pantries,
soup kitchens, backpack programs and other organizations to provide nutritious foods below cost. In turn,
those organizations serve hundreds of North Country families, providing emergency food assistance to
residents who couldn’t otherwise access nutritious foods.
The Community Foundation provides grant support annually to organizations that operate in partnership
with the Food Bank.
According to the Food Bank, one in eight people in Northern and Central New York are classified as
“food insecure.” Each dollar local food pantries and soup kitchens spend with the Food Bank can provide
enough food for three meals.
The Food Bank is a longtime Community Foundation partner. In 2017, officials opened a North Country
office on the third floor of the Northern New York Philanthropy Center. It also has a permanent endowment
and charitable fund at the Community Foundation to support its work in the tri-county area.
“Each year, the Community Foundation and its donors help supply nearly every food program across
Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties and each dollar goes further because of the efforts of the Food
Bank of Central New York,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “As has
been true before, we feel this additional investment in the Food Bank’s capacity will benefit the residents of
Northern New York in important ways and strengthen local food pantries for years to come.”
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families
and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and
collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable
objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy
while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors
and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New
York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen
the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.
