Olean Food Pantry Partners with Neighborhood School of Dance for Dance-A-Thon Fundraiser
OLEAN, NY (March 27, 2024) – Get ready to move your feet and make a difference. The Olean Food Pantry is partnering with Neighborhood School of Dance for the upcoming Movin’ Feet 4 the Food Pantry Dance-A-Thon – a fun-filled event to support the fight against local food insecurity.
The Dance-A-Thon will be held from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 at NSD’s 609 S. Union St. studio in Olean. It promises an evening of energetic dancing, joyous music and heartfelt giving, organizers said.
“This Easter break, give your kids an opportunity to have a blast while making a meaningful impact in our community,” said NSD owner and CEO Brittany Thierman. “For a $25 donation to the Olean Food Pantry, kids can dance their hearts out and show off their best moves, all while supporting OFP’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign. Don’t worry about snacks. We’ve got that covered, ensuring they’ll have plenty of energy to keep movin’ and groovin’ through the night.”
To register for the Movin’ Feet 4 the Food Pantry Dance-A-Thon, visit www.nsd.dance/register. For those who can’t attend, donations to OFP’s fundraising campaign can be made at https://oleanfoodpantry.org/donate/.
While the Dance-A-Thon will be a lighthearted event for a good cause, the community need behind it is serious. The Olean Food Pantry recently launched its $1 Million Fundraising Campaign in response to a 95.4% increase in pantry clients the last three years. According to new OFP Board President David Potter, the pantry is routinely serving record numbers of individuals and families on distribution days.
“We’re overjoyed to be able to provide free food and resources to so many in need,” Potter said, “but service alone isn’t winning the war on hunger. The crux of our fundraising campaign is to build our capacity to serve immediate needs, stock our shelves for the next 10 years, and buy time to resolve systemic issues that cause hunger in the first place.”
Cash donations allow Olean Food Pantry to purchase 66% more food from community partners than by nonperishable food donations alone, Potter said. Priority areas for funding also include building new programs with community partners to help lift families from poverty, providing nutrition education, and improving community outreach. For more information about the Olean Food Pantry, visit www.oleanfoodpantry.org.
About Olean Food Pantry: Olean Food Pantry is celebrating 70 years of service to the greater Olean area. OFP began in 1954 when a small women’s group from Bethany Lutheran church started providing food to people referred to them by Social Services. In the 1970s and ’80s, these needs were handled on an on-call basis. In 1989, Bethany Food Pantry was reorganized under the Greater Olean Association of Churches, an ecumenical board was formed and the first OFP director was named. In August 2004, the Olean Food Pantry became Olean Food Pantry, Inc. and is now a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Through the generosity of the community and Bethany Lutheran Church, Olean Food Pantry, Inc. now resides at 8 Leo Moss Drive in a new building dedicated Sept. 15, 2007.
About Neighborhood School of Dance: Neighborhood School of Dance was founded in 1976. The program encourages all dancers to experience and enjoy various dance styles as they develop the necessary skills to become a talented dancer. Under guidance from experienced instructors, NSD offers quality training, exciting choreography and entertaining recitals to develop and refine dance proficiencies. Owner Brittany Thierman, who began attending Neighborhood School of Dance in kindergarten, purchased the dance school in 2013. The Elmira College and St. Bonaventure University graduate has attended dance schools including Center Stage Dance Studio in Buffalo, Broadway Dance Center & Steps on Broadway in New York City, and a program in Rome, Italy. She’s certified from the Dance Masters of America Teacher Training School in Buffalo.)
