Tag: marlene bessette

Hundreds of local families receive food donations from Price Rite, Feed the Children

Price Rite Marketplace has teamed with anti-hunger organization Feed the Children, as well as PepsiCo and Catholic Family Center to distribute food and essentials to 400 local families. The Wednesday event is part of the supermarket’s 2020 Feeding Minds & Bodies Campaign in partnership with Feed the Children.

feed-the-children-logo

Each family was pre-identified based on need by Catholic Family Center and received a 25-pound box of food, a 15-pound box of essentials like toiletries, additional shelf-stable items provided by Price Rite and two backpacks filled with school supplies.

“Now more than ever families are facing food insecurity due to this pandemic,” Price Rite President Jim Dorey said in a statement. “Giving back to the communities we serve is at the heart of Price Rite Marketplace and we’re proud to continue our partnership with Feed the Children for a sixth year and provide food and essentials to local families in need.”

Feed the Children and Price Rite created the Feeding Minds & Bodies initiative to help bring attention to and fight the serious issue of childhood hunger. The initiative helps kids and their families by providing food, personal care items and school supplies throughout the year. The two organizations will host eight events in 2020 to address seasonal issues surrounding food insecurity.

“Catholic Family Center is grateful to be working once again with PepsiCo, Feed the Children and our neighbors at Price Rite Marketplace,” said Marlene Bessette, president and CEO of Catholic Family Center. “Together, these partners are truly providing vital nourishment for both body and mind to some of our city’s most vulnerable families and children.”

Since partnering with Feed the Children in 2015, Price Rite has contributed nearly 2 million pounds of food, totaling more than $7 million donations.

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Catholic Family Center awards scholarships to two refugees

Destalem Lemlem
Destalem Lemlem

Catholic Family Center at its annual meeting Wednesday awarded college scholarships to two unaccompanied refugee minors who will graduate from the Rochester City School District this week.

Destalem Lemlem came to the U.S. as a refugee from Eritrea in 2014. He had a seventh-grade education and did not speak English. In his four years in the U.S., Lemlem has been selected as a Black Scholar through Urban League of Rochester, was inducted as a member of the National Honor Society of High School Scholars and this year was awarded perfect attendance honors.

Khadija Muhammadi arrived in Rochester in 2015 as a refugee from Afghanistan. She is described as determined and humble. Muhammadi is a member of the National Honor Society and was awarded the Young Citizen of the Year Award for Monroe County in 2017. She volunteers at Rochester General Hospital and a library and plans to pursue a degree in the medical field.

Khadija Muhammadi
Khadija Muhammadi

The Nancy Carey Memorial Scholarship is awarded to youths who model the same compassion and determination of Nancy Carey, a former CFC staff member who was skilled in working with adolescents and who worked with clients in the Preventive program to help them become independent and self-sufficient. CFC does not disclose the dollar amount of the scholarships.

“The Nancy Carey Scholarship is awarded to youths that model compassion and determination,” CFC President and CEO Marlene Bessette said. “Both of these young adults came to the U.S. as unaccompanied refugee minors and we are so proud of their work and achievements and grateful to the foster families who offered them refuge and love.”

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer