Legacy of love continues at Upper Room Church of God in Christ Food Pantry

At Upper Room Church of God in Christ Food Pantry, sisters Cynthia and Iola carry on the legacy of their parents’ commitment to love and service for their East Buffalo community.

Growing up, the sisters would watch their parents, Johnnie Q. and Sylvia Edwards, open the doors of their home to neighbors who were in need, giving them a meal, clean clothes, a toothbrush and a hot shower.

“My mom just loved people. She and my dad were always giving people food or whatever they needed,” Cynthia said.

When Sylvia retired, she wanted to find ways to continue to serve the community. In 1994, she partnered with FeedMore WNY (then the Food Bank of WNY) to open a food pantry at Upper Room Church of God in Christ parish, where Johnnie Q. was the founder and pastor.

“If you’re hungry, you’re just hungry, no matter who you are.”

“The need for the pantry was great. The lines would stretch around the corner,” Cynthia said.

Sylvia cared deeply about serving her neighbors with dignity and compassion. No one was turned away.

“My mother would say, ‘If you’re hungry, you’re just hungry, no matter who you are,’” Cynthia said.

Many times, Sylvia would hold recipe demonstrations for the community using ingredients found in the pantry.

“It was her way of getting the community to eat well. She would make a soup and use a vegetable that people weren’t used to,” Iola said. “It was great because they got a chance to try new things that were good for them.”

Sylvia ran the pantry for more than 20 years before she passed away in 2016. (Johnnie Q. passed away the previous year.) Cynthia and Iola seamlessly stepped into their mother’s role, keeping the food pantry doors open wide for anyone who may need assistance.

As the sisters continue to manage the pantry, the need has only grown. Crises like the pandemic and the 2022 mass shooting in the heart of their neighborhood have brought more community members through the pantry’s doors.

“We are getting new people at the pantry every week,” Iola said. “We’re seeing more people on fixed incomes, more retirees and more immigrants who are moving into this area.”

Still, Cynthia and Iola say that for as long as there is a need, they will continue to serve and carry out the legacy of their parents.

“I don’t think we would be the way we are if it weren’t for them. Their dedication and love drive us,” Cynthia said.

Upper Room Church of God in Christ parish and food pantry are located on Florida Street in Buffalo. The street was renamed in honor of Johnnie Q. Edwards.