Hawley: 'Giving back gives meaning to the holiday season'

Billie Owens — Nov 20, 2017, 4:21pm

Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

As we near this year’s turkey day, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is wishing residents an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving holiday while also asking them to consider donating some food or their time to a local food pantry or organization to help those who are less fortunate enjoy a warm Thanksgiving meal.

“Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays of the year in that it allows us pause in our busy and stressful lives to reflect on what is truly important, our collective bond as families and a community and the good fortune we have enjoyed over the past year,” Hawley said.

“Unfortunately, not all families are privileged enough to afford a large meal this Thanksgiving, and it is especially important during this time to come together as a community and help those in need.

“Something as simple as a couple of cans of food or box of stuffing will mean so much to a local family, and I encourage everyone who is able to donate a couple of items or their time to one of our local food pantries or organizations which do tremendous work this time of year,” Hawley said.

Visit http://www.foodpantries.org/st/new_york to find a food pantry or donate to one of these in our community:

Genesee County Food Pantries

Salvation Army, 529 E. Main St., Batavia
Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, 5073 Clinton Street Road, Batavia
Le Roy Pantry and Help Fund Inc., 48 Main St., Le Roy, phone (585) 768-4559

Genesee ARC helps stock local food pantries, and the food truck for Care-A-Van Ministries

Billie Owens — Mar 22, 2016, 1:10pm

(Photos and information submitted by Claudia Nigro for Genesee ARC.)

As part of the MLK (Martin Luther King Jr.) Service Project, which runs Jan. 18 through September, individuals from Genesee ARC participate in a food drive and have been volunteering to give back to their community.

They work very hard coordinating drop-off locations for donations and to distribute goods to local food pantries throughout Genesee County.

In pictures taken Monday, are individuals assisting Paul Ohlson (with mustache), of Care-A-Van Ministries, with loading the food truck, one of many recipients of donations in support of the MKL Service Project.

Genesee Arc is one of 10 grant recipients for this national effort. The “Healthy Future” initiative is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The purpose of this ongoing MLK Project is to focus on food insufficiency and healthy eating for our local community.