BUFFALO, N.Y. — Many Western New Yorkers remain out of work or continue to struggle financially due to the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, FeedMore WNY has seen an increased need in the community to help keep food on the table.
Xylem Watermark, the corporate social responsibility program of the global water technology company Xylem Inc., is teaming up with with Mulcare and National Fuel to provide a grant that will help FeedMore WNY assemble and distribute nearly 350 emergency food kits to those in need.
Since March 16, more than 47,000 of the kits have been distributed. In addition, the funding will also provide 1,500 hundred bags of nutritious food to children served through its BackPack program.
The food is sent to FeedMore's partner agencies and distributed through its mobile food distributions throughout Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties.
“We feel privileged to be working with our partners Mulcare and National Fuel to get additional resources into the hands of FeedMore WNY,” said Joe Vesey, Xylem’s chief marketing officer and chair of Xylem Watermark. “Making sure kids don’t go hungry is essential to helping communities in Western New York be more resilient in the face of this pandemic.”
“COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the Western New York community, and we know that so many of our neighbors will continue to face financial hardship and food insecurity for months to come," said Tara A. Ellis, FeedMore WNY president and CEO. "Tragically, more than 223,000 individuals in FeedMore WNY’s four-county service area are expected to face hunger in 2020 because of the pandemic. FeedMore WNY remains committed to doing everything in our power to assist our hungry community members. We are grateful to Xylem Watermark, Mulcare and National Fuel for making this grant possible. Their support will allow us to distribute more nutritious food to those who need it most.”
