Sign In
Upcoming Event
Free Newsletter
Funding for Foodlink expansion passes U.S. House
Funding for Foodlink expansion passes U.S. House
Listen to this articleThe recently passed House appropriations bill has set aside $750,000 for Rochester’s Foodlink Inc. to help the nonprofit cover the costs of a much-needed refrigerator expansion, Rep. Joe Morelle said on Wednesday. The bill still needs to be passed by the U.S. Senate.
“The COVID-19 pandemic forced too many Monroe County residents into food insecurity, leaving them without basic access to healthy food options,” Morelle (D-Irondequoit) said in a statement. “As we continue to combat this crisis, we must ensure families are able to provide for their children and put food on their tables. That is why I was proud to help secure funding in the House appropriations bill to allow Foodlink to better serve our community and deliver more healthy meals to families who need them.”
Morelle joined Foodlink Wednesday to recognize Hunger Action Month, which takes place each September to raise awareness of the hunger issues families in our community and nationwide face.
The refrigerator expansion will allow Foodlink to stock more fresh produce and better meet the growing needs of the local community, especially during the pandemic, officials said.
“Hunger Action Month offers a critical opportunity to bring attention to the impact that poverty and food insecurity has on our communities, and the reality that thousands of households in our region are forced to make impossible choices between paying for food and other basic needs,” said Foodlink President and CEO Julia Tedesco. “We are grateful that Congressman Morelle understands the severity of this issue, and for his advocacy and support on the federal level.”
Because of the pandemic, Foodlink has helped serve an unprecedented number of food-insecure families in our region, the effects of which are ultimately felt on our children’s dinner plate, officials noted. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the organization distributed 25 percent more food last year than the year prior, which already was a record-setting year.
The $750,000 award is being made available as part of the Community Funding Project program, which Congress is implementing for the first time this year. Through this program, members of Congress are able to provide direct investments to areas of their communities that need it most. The funding was recently passed in the House of Representatives appropriations bill and will now be considered by the U.S. Senate.
[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer
