History

about us

FeedMore WNY’s food bank (FB) and Meals on Wheels (MOW) programs have a combined 90 years of feeding the Western New York community. In 2023, our Meals on Wheels program provided more than 1.4 million meals to our homebound neighbors and through congregate dining sites. Our food bank program distributed more than 14.7 million pounds of nutritious fresh and shelf-stable foods to nearly 400 pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, and other hunger-relief agencies throughout Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties. FeedMore WNY is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and works as a member of the national organizations of Feeding America and Meals on Wheels America.

Meals on Wheels for WNY serves first 25 residents on the West Side of Buffalo. 1969
The Food Bank of WNY is founded by a group of interested agency representatives who want to develop a better method for food crisis intervention. 1979
Meals on Wheels grows by leaps and bounds. The number of service routes nearly triples (from 61 in 1980 to 171 in 1999). The daily number of recipients being served doubled (from 691 to 1,456) and the annual meals served leapt from 353,000 to 803,000. 1980-1999
The Food Bank moves its warehouse from Seneca Street to a 37,000- square-foot warehouse at 91 Holt Street in Buffalo. 1988
The Meals on Wheels Foundation of WNY is formed to offset cutbacks in government funding. The Foundation becomes crucial in securing private donations and grants. The Food Bank distributes its 100 millionth pound of product. 1995
Meals on Wheels serves its 20 millionth meal. 2006
Food Bank opens a new distribution site in Chautauqua County to better serve residents in the Southern Tier. 2008
Meals on Wheels opens a new 24,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art commissary. 2009
Meals on Wheels begins contracting directly to produce approximately 1,200 meals per day for Erie County’s congregate (“Stay Fit”) dining program. Beginning January 1, Meals on Wheels begins serving five new towns – Boston, Colden, Concord, Holland and Sardinia. 2013-2014
Beginning January 1, Meals on Wheels began serving five new towns – Boston, Colden, Concord, Holland and Sardinia – which were previously served by the Southtowns program. Food Bank of WNY president & CEO retires. Tara A. Ellis (then president & CEO of Meals on Wheels) engages with Food Bank CEO search committee and presents vision of combined organization able to feed more vulnerable neighbors. 2017
Meals on Wheels agency and foundation boards and Food Bank board meet and agree to explore possibility of merger. A formal task force is created, including eight subcommittees, a facilitator and legal counsel. 2018
The three boards vote to approve a plan of merger, creating FeedMore WNY, Inc. and the FeedMore WNY Foundation. February 27, 2019
NYS Attorney General approves merger. 2019
FeedMore WNY begins delivering meals to homebound neighbors in Niagara County. January 27, 2020
FeedMore WNY establishes the RISE workforce development program and welcomes its inaugural cohort for warehouse and logistics training. October 2020
FeedMore WNY’s first “container farm” is installed, enabling the organization to grow fresh produce year-round. November 2020