FOODLINK ENSURES THE COMMUNITY GETS FED

BY: KAYLEE DUDA

for students without access to school meals over breaks, remote learning, weekends, and more.

To date, 8.4 million pounds of food have been sorted by Foodlink volunteers, and they only plan to grow their e orts in the future, reaching even more people in need.

ose interested in supporting Foodlink should visit foodlinkny.org to nd many ways community members can get involved. Even donating one dollar can help provide three meals for someone in need. Foodlink o ers options for onetime donations as well as monthly subscriptions. ere is also the option to donate “in honor” or “in memory” of someone.

Most people may think a small thing cannot signi cantly change the world. However, when Tom Ferraro received a request for a food donation from the omas’ English Mu ns warehouse manager in 1978, he tooktheseeminglyinsigni cantmu nsandcreatedsomething incredible: the organization now known as Foodlink.

Using the power of food to eradicate hunger and create healthy communities is the goal of the organization whose main headquarters is in Rochester, New York. Ferraro helped transform Foodlink from its modest beginnings into one of the most cutting-edge food banks in the country because of his early dedication to addressing both the symptoms and causes of food insecurity and his conviction that charity alone cannot eradicate hunger.

e typical associations with food nonpro ts are those of food drives or pop-up pantries, but Foodlink does much more than that. is nonpro t focuses on more than just giving food to those in need. ey aim to end hunger before it starts through food access, food literacy, and career empowerment classes. For example, the Foodlink Career Fellowship provides a yearlong culinary curriculum that combines classroom instruction with hands-on training in Foodlink’s cutting-edge commercial kitchen. Alongside the Foodlink Community Kitchen team, fellows produce tens of thousands of nutritious meals every day for Rochester children while developing the fundamental skills required to work in a busy kitchen.

e Fellowship is the rst cook apprenticeship in the state and is a New York State Registered Apprenticeship Training program. It received almost $1 million in NYS Workforce funding in 2020. e Class of 2021 Fellows helped launch the Foodlink Community Cafe, a nonpro t, pay-it-forward cafe at the Central Library in downtown Rochester. is cafe relies on donations put toward causes to help feed the community. Open at 115 South Ave. from 11:00am to 3:00pm every weekday, the Café’s meals are both a ordable and delicious.

Foodlink also coordinates a Backpack Program, which provides healthy food based on MyPlate national guidelines

Foodlink is also making a splash with its Check Out Hunger campaign in local grocery stores. Shoppers can add a little extra, $1, $2, $3, or $5, to their grocery bill to support foodinsecure families in the region. Foodlink plans to run several

Foodlink always seeks volunteers to help sort donated food in the distribution center, to assist Curbside Market customers, to help maintain the Lexington Ave. Community Farm, and more. ere is an opportunity for any individual, family, or group to give back to the community through Foodlink. For more information and regulations on volunteering at Foodlink, visit foodlinkny.org.

No one deserves to go hungry or feel as if food is something theycanonlyhaveatlimitedtimes,andwithyourhelp,Foodlink can make sure that everyone in the Rochester community gets the nutrients they need.

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