Regional Food Bank Receives $50,000 Grant from KeyBank Foundation
Regional Food Bank Receives $50,000 Grant from KeyBank Foundation
The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York was awarded a $50,000 grant from the KeyBank Foundation to support children through its BackPack Program.
Children are innocent victims of hunger and without proper nutrition can suffer long-lasting developmental delays. The BackPack Program works to reverse these negative effects by providing chronically hungry school-age children with food each Friday during the school year to ensure they have healthy food to eat on weekends when school meals are not available. Schools report that enrolled children have better attendance and grades, as well as fewer disciplinary referrals.
“We are incredibly grateful to the KeyBank Foundation for this gift,” said Molly Nicol, Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Food Bank. “A gift of this magnitude will be transformational for children in need throughout our 23-county service area.”
“All of us at KeyBank are honored to support the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and the work they do to alleviate hunger and prevent food waste,” said Fran O’Rourke, KeyBank Capital Region Market President. “We are especially excited about the BackPack Program and the unique opportunity it presents to provide chronically hungry students in our community with healthy food while helping them develop eating habits that are key to their health and well-being.”
For those interested in getting involved, visit the Food Bank’s website at regionalfoodbank.net to make a donation or sign up to volunteer.
About The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York
The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that collects donated food from the food industry and distributes it to nearly 1,000 charitable agencies feeding the hungry in 23 counties of northeastern New York. The food provided by the Regional Food Bank helps to feed over 350,000 people each month. In 2021, the organization distributed nearly 50 million pounds of food to the hungry. The Regional Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks. The organization is supported by foundations, private contributions and fundraising events. For information on services offered by the Regional Food Bank, call (518) 786-3691 or visit www.regionalfoodbank.net.