PRESS RELEASE: Olean Food Pantry receives $7,500 United Way Grant to Fight Local Hunger
Grant to Boost OFP’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign
OLEAN, NY – A $7,500 grant to the Olean Food Pantry from the United Way of Cattaraugus County aims to tackle skyrocketing local food insecurity. Commemorating its 70th year serving the Olean area, OFP will use the funds as another stepping stone to its new $1 Million Fundraising Campaign.
Olean Food Pantry launched the ambitious fundraiser in March in response to a staggering 95.4 percent increase in clients the last three years. The campaign will build sustainability by stocking shelves for the next decade – freeing time and resources for OFP to tackle the root causes of hunger in Western New York.
Serving the hungry isn’t enough, said OFP Board President David Potter.
“We greatly appreciate this $7,500 grant from the United Way. We regularly serve record numbers at our weekly distributions, but that’s no cause for celebration,” Potter said, recalling a record-breaking day in January when the pantry served 155 families. “Our goal is to address why people are hungry in the first place. The community need has nearly doubled in less than five years. We need long-term solutions to provide resources and lift people from poverty.”
Olean Food Pantry has served over 40,000 individuals from Cattaraugus, Allegany and Chautauqua counties since January 2022, officials said. As of this April, the food pantry recorded a further 9.7 percent increase in clients, year-over-year.
The problem, said OFP board member Fred Welch, runs deeper than difficulty buying food. Improving access to community resources requires a true understanding of the drivers of hunger and generational poverty, he said.
“Thousands of people born here take their first breath already at a disadvantage,” Welch added. “Their success isn’t so idealistic as pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps. Some days it’s tough enough just to survive.”
While providing free food on weekly distribution days will remain a primary focus, OFP looks to address systemic hunger issues through collaboration, advocacy and education, said board member Rich Esposito.
Every day, food pantries across the U.S. counter a stigma against food insecure individuals and families.
“There are diverse and often hidden faces of hunger in the communities we serve,” Esposito said. “Their struggles aren’t always what you might think. They’re not the stereotypical image of poverty and hunger seen in the media. They could be single parents, people in recovery from addiction, or even one of the 40 percent of Americans who are one missed paycheck away from food insecurity.”
OFP has budgeted $84,000 for food purchases in 2024. Community partnerships with FeedMore WNY, Canticle Farm and local grocers, along with fresh produce grown on-site, provide the majority of the pantry’s annual food stock. According to OFP Board Treasurer Nick Hamed, assuming a 3 percent annual increase in food costs, $1 million would be required to ensure adequately stocked shelves for the next 10 years.
“Cash donations are particularly valuable, allowing us to purchase 66% more food than non-perishable donations alone, thanks to preferred nonprofit rates from suppliers,” Hamed said.
Olean Food Pantry’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign is being managed by Grand River Agency, an Olean-based consulting firm. By improving OFP’s strategic communications, the campaign looks to raise funds through major gifts, grants, and individual and corporate donations.
Local donations also enable the pantry to maintain control over how funds are used, allowing for community-centric approaches to addressing hunger. To donate, visit https://oleanfoodpantry.org/olean-food-pantry-fundraising-campaign-2024-25/.
