COVID -19 is taking its toll on Western New Yorkers; families’ want for food has increased beyond comprehension.
Addressing the situation, the Buffalo Dream Center Mobile Food Pantry has now pulled up to more than 50 neighborhoods to distribute groceries and hope to families in need.
The Dream Center, a FeedMore WNY site, is a mobile food pantry that has reached a milestone of serving 5,000 households since the beginning of the pandemic. This 1000% increase in just 2 months is staggering, considering that there was no warning, which meant that there was no time (or formula in place) to step up the operation. Instead, organizers and volunteers have mobilized in unprecedented ways, by handing out groceries to families in need, many of whom are without work, homeless, and/or families that can’t keep up with the nutritional needs of growing children.
Rev. Eric Johns, the pastor of the Buffalo Dream Center, known for staying one week every year on the streets with Buffalo’s homeless, has been leading an effort with his wife, family, and church to feed people during the pandemic. Since the pandemic first struck, the Center’s mobile food pantry has attracted volunteers from across Western New York.
“It is our mission to not only bring food to people in need, but to bring hope and encouragement,” states Pastor Eric Johns. “We are seeing that every day! Good people are doing great things – we give thanks for the support, as we continue to bring hope.”
During this crisis, the demand for food donations and volunteers is increasing for all the food pantries around Western New York. For Western New Yorkers who have little or no income, with children at home to feed, the Dream Center is a godsend. I can’t imagine the outcome of the unfortunate state of affairs at hand, without the unabated and steadfast volunteerism that has emanated from the Buffalo Dream Center.
For an entire list of Dream Center giveaways or donation locations, go to Buffalo Dream Center. If you would like further information, call (716) 854-1001 or email information@buffalodreamcenter.org. To find a local food pantry near you visit FeedMore WNY.
Lead image (L-R): Family photo – Alex Johns, Dezmond McClinton, Carmen Morales, Grandmother, Raul Osorio, and Adelana