Assemblymember John McDonald Helps Regional Food Bank and Boys & Girls Club to Launch New Clubhouse Food Pantries
December 12, 2024
Lansingburgh, NY – The Regional Food Bank is celebrating a successful collaboration between the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, the Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club, Team Hero Mentoring Program and State Assembly in the effort to alleviate hunger.
Four food pantries in Rensselaer County are preparing to open within the Boys & Girls Club clubhouses for children and families to use to supplement the need for healthy food options on the weekends when not receiving free meals in school. This program will help 100-150 families. The pantries will be open one day a week to start for the families to shop with the ultimate goal of being open multiple days, not only for their clubhouse families but all their neighbors in need.
The pantries were made possible in large part due to a $50,000 state investment secured by Assemblymember John T. McDonald III. This funding ensures the pantries will be financially set in the short term while also allowing them to create future funding plans.
“Understanding the importance of having access to nutritious food, I worked to help secure $50,000 in NYS grant funding for the Boys and Girls Clubs/Regional Food Bank to support this important initiative to tackle food insecurity. This partnership is leading to the creation of food pantries at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lansingburgh, Troy Clubhouse, Rensselaer Clubhouse, and Team Hero’s Mentoring Program. This is a prime example of meeting people where they are at and will provide expanded access to food for the kids and families who are a part of these programs. Thank you to the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Regional Food Bank for all the work that you do to support our communities and for creating this vital program,” said Assemblymember John T. McDonald III, RPh.
“I grew up in the Boys & Girls Clubs and know firsthand the impact these new food pantries will have for families and children in need. It makes so much sense for the Boys & Girls Clubs and the Regional Food Bank to work closely to combat food insecurity. No child should be worried where their next meal is coming from and the Regional Food Bank is committed to finding innovative ways to reach kids to provide healthy and nutritious food,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank.
“Ensuring children have the resources needed to succeed in life is key to the work we do at the Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club. Every new program, experience or initiative to combat the issues facing our youth is made possible by the support of great partners like Assemblymember John McDonald and the Regional Food Bank. Everyone wants to see a child succeed and when communities come together like this, it serves as a reminder of just how much more we could do together,” said James Bulmer, Executive Director of the Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area is excited to announce our partnership with the Regional Food Bank and Assemblymember John McDonald, to establish food pantries at our clubhouse locations. These pantries will provide essential weekend food assistance to families facing food insecurity. Many of the communities we serve are located in food deserts, where access to nutritious food is limited. Through this initiative, we aim to address these challenges and ensure families have reliable access to the resources they need,” said Justin Reuter, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area.
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Written by: Leanne Politi
Media Contact: Eric Wohlleber