Rotary Club of Buffalo Gives Grant to the Food Bank of WNY

The Rotary Club of Buffalo recently presented a check to the Food Bank of Western New York in the amount of $7,700, announced Rob Eck, chair of Rotary’s Community Grants Committee.  The funds will be used for new equipment as the Food Bank renovates its test kitchen. 
    “The Food Bank is offering very important programs that teach children and adults to prepare healthy snacks and meals,” says Eck. “The new equipment will help further the mission of the Food Bank, and also supports the mission of Rotary. We are pleased to able to assist this wonderful organization that helps so many of our fellow Western New Yorkers.”
    The two programs offered by the Food Bank in its test kitchen include Kids In The Kitchen, a unique program that puts kids in control in the kitchen.  Children throughout Western New York come to the Food Bank to learn about cooking and healthy eating.  Guided by the Food Bank nutritionist, kids get a chance to understand how their eating habits affect their health.  They learn how to prepare simple snacks and meals (many of the recipes use products available at the Food Bank) and how to choose foods wisely to benefit their health. Good Cookin’ is a program whereby a registered dietician teaches adults menu planning, budgeting and healthy meal preparation.
    “This generous grant from Rotary allows us to upgrade our facility so we can accommodate more of our clients into these two very important programs,” says Marylou Borowiak, president and CEO of the Food Bank of WNY. “We are very grateful to Rotary.”

About Rotary Club of Buffalo
Founded in 1905 in Chicago, Rotary International is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders whose mission is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards and to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in 200 countries and geographical areas. The Rotary Club of Buffalo was the 28th club in the world and currently has more than 175 active members serving the local and international communities. For more information about Rotary, contact John McClive at the Buffalo Rotary office at 854-3397 or e-mail jmcclive@buffalorotary.org or visit our website: www.buffalorotary.org.


About the Food Bank of WNY
Each month, 91,000 hungry Western New Yorkers – 40 percent of whom are children – turn to soup kitchens, food pantries and other emergency food providers. The Food Bank of Western New York acts as a bridge between available food sources and the hungry. The Food Bank of WNY is a nonprofit clearinghouse for food solicited from the private sector. This food, deemed “edible but unmarketable” by the food industry, is safely stored in our 50,610 square foot warehouse and then distributed to qualified charitable agencies working to feed the needy. The Food Bank of WNY is one of more than 200 food banks nationwide affiliated with the America's Second Harvest Food Bank Network. For more information, visit www.foodbankwny.org.