CLARENCE CENTER, N.Y. — Who can forget when the pandemic started, toilet paper, cleaning products and hand sanitizer were hard to buy in stores? That's when a Clarence Center distillery had the idea use their alcohol to start making hand sanitizer.
A year later they're still making the hand sanitizer, but instead of selling it, Uncle Jumbo's American Vodka Distillery has decided to donate all of it to FeedMore WNY.
In April 2020, with guidance from the state and federal government, Uncle Jumbo's owner Nick Kotrides decided to cut back on the distillery's vodka production and he started mass producing hand sanitizer.
"When it started I think most distilleries had the same idea. Hey, we have alcohol. Sanitizer is 80 percent alcohol. Maybe we can do something," said Kotrides.
He said demand for the hand sanitizer was so high they were working around the clock. At one point they totally stopped producing alcohol for consumption and they were exclusively making hand sanitizer and couldn't keep up.
They sold thousands of bottles, but also gave thousands away. Business was thriving for Uncle Jumbo's while other businesses were suffering, so Kotrides was happy to pay it forward and donate hand sanitizer to New York State troopers, teachers, firefighters, food pantries and anyone else who needed it.
"We were fortunate that we were able to help, but we feel more fortunate that we were able to help more," said Kotrides.
Now a year into the pandemic they're still making hand sanitizer, but Kotrides made a decision to not sell it, but rather just give it all away to FeedMore WNY. They made their first delivery of 20,000 bottles, worth $100,000 last Friday.
FeedMore WNY officials are incredibly grateful because they says a donation that large will go a long way.
"This is an absolutely incredible donation," said Catherine Shick, FeedMore WNY communications director. "We're particularly excited to distribute these to our member agencies- our food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief programs across our four county service area- so they can support their staff and volunteers and then of course the community members who rely on them for food assistance."
Kotrides says Uncle Jumbo's will continue to supply FeedMore WNY with hand sanitizer for free until the pandemic is over.
"I hope that what happens is that someone else will see this interview and they'll do the same," said Kotrides.
The funds that FeedMore WNY would have had to use to buy hand sanitizer, can now be allocated to buy more food, which is vital because Shick says in the last year the food insecurity rate has skyrocketed 41 percent in the four counties served by FeedMore WNY. The organization served 16 million meals in 2020, which is 4 million more than the year before.
"FeedMore WNY is incredibly grateful for everyone who has helped us out during these incredibly challenging times," said Shick.
If you'd like to nominate a person, group, organization or business to be featured as a Good Neighbor on Channel 2, email Melissa.Holmes@wgrz.com . See last week's Good Neighbor below.