BUFFALO, N.Y. — In this year of sickness, isolation and far too many deaths, there is something that’s thriving.
Hunger.
To combat that, people flock to the Genesis Center in Buffalo’s Seneca-Cazenovia neighborhood to volunteer.
“To help the neighborhood, people who are less fortunate, ”said Tammy Bettinger, one of the volunteers working on a Saturday morning. “It’s a trying time around here, especially near the holidays. They really need the food.”
“With the pandemic, there’s so many people out of work,” said Norma Hussar, another volunteer. “People are hungry. There’s families to feed.”
The Genesis Center operates a food pantry and provides meals twice a week. It used to be 75-people would show up for a meal. Now, during the pandemic, it’s often over 200.
“The biggest change lately has been the number of people that have never before been unemployed, people who’ve never had to ask for assistance in their lives,” said Rev. Twila Smith of the Genesis Center. “I’ve heard from people who’ve been working continuously for 40-years and now they’re in a position of not being able to find work.”
Reverend Smith says donors and FeedMore Western New York have responded with extra food to keep up with the extra need.FeedMore says that need is up everywhere in our region
“Certainly hunger has always been a pervasive problem in Western New York, but this is really unprecedented,” said Catherine Shick, FeedMore’s communications director. “The hunger leaders throughout the nation are telling us to brace for this continued increase to last for the next 18-to-24 months.”
Maybe months and years of hunger being an everyday worry for local families.
“With the virus and not getting out and going to stores and not finding things. It’s hard. It’s hard cooking and hard getting figuring how to feed a family,” said Carol Hold, one of the Center’s clients.
“If it wasn’t for this, you know what? I’ll tell you the truth, you know I wouldn’t have any food at the table,” added Ruth Ruiz, another client.
To learn more about the Center or to sign up to volunteer, click here.