Feed Our Vets uses $100K state grant for upgrades to Utica food pantry

UTICA, N.Y. — New York State Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D–Marcy) recently announced the successful delivery of a $100,000 state grant to Feed Our Vets, a Utica–based nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting hunger among veterans and their families. The funding, secured by Buttenschon through the State Assembly, supported two essential upgrades at Feed Our Vets’ Utica facility: the reconstruction of the parking lot to ensure accessibility for veterans of all abilities, and the purchase of a new walk-in freezer to expand food-storage capacity and meet growing community demand. “We appreciate the support of Assemblywoman Buttenschon and her office. The $100,000 provided by her helped us tremendously. We are especially thankful for the freezer. With the funding, we were able to purchase a 20-foot-long by 10-foot-wide freezer; we can now roll in the pallets we receive smoothly and efficiently,” Richard J. Synek, founder and executive director of Feed Our Vets, said in the announcement. “This upgrade gives us greater capacity to provide even more frozen food items to the veterans we serve. The funding also allowed us to repair our parking lot, which is now free of cracks and much safer for our visitors. Our organization, and the veterans in need who rely on us, are forever thankful to Assemblywoman Buttenschon.” Founded in 2009, Feed Our Vets says it has become a lifeline for veterans and their families across the nation. Since its inception, the organization has provided food assistance to more than 73,103 veterans and their families, distributed 5.5 million pounds of food, and delivered over $395,000 in Walmart gift cards to help families purchase groceries.