FeedMore WNY’s “Champions for Meals” week to spread awareness on critical need for Meals on Wheels services

More than 3,600 new individuals have signed up for home-delivered meals since March 2020.

March 16, 2021

Government officials and key community partners will give back to the community and spread awareness of the importance of FeedMore WNY’s Meals on Wheels services as part of the nonprofit’s “Champions for Meals” event. From March 22 through March 26, participants will deliver nutritious food and vital companionship to homebound aging community members and neighbors living with disabilities who rely on FeedMore WNY’s Meals on Wheels program.

While FeedMore WNY’s Meals on Wheels program always has provided essential services to homebound neighbors, the program has become even more critical due to the pandemic. The hunger-relief organization has experienced an influx of more than 3,600 new individuals signing up for Meals on Wheels since March 2020. During peak points of its pandemic response, FeedMore WNY delivered nearly 57 percent more meals each week compared to its baseline average.

In 2020, FeedMore WNY provided approximately 1.3 million meals to more than 5,500 homebound neighbors in Erie and Niagara counties, helping them maintain a high level of independence. The Meals on Wheels program also provided more than 65,000 meals to 2,000 mobile seniors through congregate sites in partnership with Erie County’s Stay Fit dining program.

“The pandemic had a tremendous impact on our efforts with our home-delivered meals, specifically when we almost doubled our number of clients served in a short period of time. Our team and volunteers made an incredible effort during that call to action and we were able to ensure we met those needs, but our numbers are continuing to grow with the continued impact of COVID-19,” Tara A. Ellis, president and CEO of FeedMore WNY, said. “We deeply appreciate the community’s support of FeedMore WNY and our vital feeding programs, but we still need more help to continue our mission. We encourage individuals and organizations to sign up to volunteer for our Meals on Wheels program. With just an hour of your time, you can provide nourishing food and friendship to our neighbors in need.”

This year, the following government officials and community partners are participating in Champions for Meals:

State:
* Assemblywoman Monica Wallace

Erie County:
* Legislator Chris Greene
* Sheriff Tim Howard
* Clerk Michael Kearns
* Legislator John Mills
* Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw
* Commissioner of Senior Services David Shenk
* Legislator Frank Todaro

Niagara County:
* Undersheriff Michael Dunn
* Sheriff Michael Filicetti
* Chief Deputy Aaron Schultz
* Deputy Chief Anthony Suess
* Chief Deputy Patrick Weidel

City of Buffalo:
* Mayor Byron Brown
* Common Council Member Bryan Bollman
* Common Council Member Joel Feroleto
* Common Council Majority Leader David Rivera
* Common Council President Pro Tempore Christopher Scanlon
* Common Council Member Ulysees O. Wingo, Sr.

Municipalities:
* Cheektowaga Town Councilmember Christine Adamczyk
* Aurora Town Supervisor James Bach
* Angola Town Supervisor Mary Hosler
* Holland Town Supervisor Michael Kasprzyk
* Boston Town Supervisor Jason Keding
* Mayor of Springville William Krebs
* Cheektowaga Town Councilmember Brian Nowak
* Cheektowaga Town Councilmember Brian Pilarski
* Orchard Park Senior Center Director Debbie Santiago

Community Partners:
* Randy Hoak, Erie County Social Services Department
* 97 Rock Radio Personality Chris Klein