BUFFALO, N.Y. — Our Food 2 Families drive is Friday, December 3, and this year the need for donations is huge. Ahead of Friday, we wanted to see what the biggest needs are.
2 On Your Side visited the FeedMore WNY warehouse and a food pantry to find out what types of donations are needed.
"There is a definite need for food, and the number of clients we serve is probably ten-fold of what we should be," says Annie Carlson, co-coordinator of St. Patrick Pantry.
At the St. Patrick Food Pantry on William Street in Buffalo, Annie Carlson is taking care of our neighbors.
"I think that there are a lot more people who don't come who could be coming, but we have food available. We are always in need of more food," Carlson said.
Throughout the week, she is making sure bags of food are ready for families to pick up every Wednesday and Friday.
"Macaroni and cheese, pastas, tuna, high protein, high nutritious canned food, the perishables, low-sodium, low sugar content. We do have perishable foods. It makes it a little bit more difficult when you're not open all of the time to give out the perishables, but powdered milk, cereal, peanut butter," Carlson said.
Before COVID-19, people would walk around and pick out what they want from the shelves like at a grocery store, but for now, Carlson is the one putting the bags together. She personalizes each one.
"In the bags there is always something you can create. We have given out recipes and, you know, help people decide what to make with the food," she says.
Before the food gets to Carlson, it is sorted around the corner at the FeedMore WNY warehouse. Volunteers check each donated can, box, and bag using USDA FoodKeeper Guidelines, which in a lot of cases go well beyond the printed best-by dates.
"They're not only checking the labels making sure that the best-by dates, and that the food is safe for consumption, they're also checking items to make sure that cans aren't accidentally damaged or rusted in any way, making sure that labels haven't been punctured, because of course we want to make sure that the food is safe for our community members," said Catherine Shick, chief communications officer for FeedMore WNY.
And Carlson says any one of us could end up turning to St. Patrick Pantry for help. They won't turn anyone away.
"We never know when we're in need, so it could be once, it could be for always. We never know, and we're just here helping what we can to get people by. You hope it's not forever, if it is, we're here," Carlson said.