HG Realtor Foundation Launches 2021 Volunteer Activities at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley

CORNWALL ON HUDSON—Still maintaining social distancing and donning masks and gloves, a small group of Realtors from the Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation recently volunteered their time to help pack groceries and stock shelves at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley in Cornwall-on-Hudson.

The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley is a branch of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York and a member of Feeding America, the national food bank network. Last year, the Hudson Valley location provided more than 15 million pounds of food to 400-member agencies in Orange, Ulster, Dutchess, Rockland, Sullivan and Putnam counties.

In March of 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Realtor Foundation to halt almost all of its volunteer efforts for the year, but foundation volunteers did manage to visit the Food Bank and do some outdoor volunteering at other locations last summer and fall.

HGRF Volunteers help to unload goods and stock shelves at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley.

“We are looking forward to being able to do more volunteer events this year as the weather gets warmer and there will be more outdoor opportunities” said Gail Fattizzi, chair of the HGRF Program Committee, which plans the volunteer events. “I also think as more people get vaccinated, we may be able to hold more indoor events, although still being cautious by wearing masks and practicing social distancing.”

The Food Bank is still experiencing an increased demand for emergency food, and Paul Stermer, director of the Food Bank, expressed his gratitude for all those who have assisted them with volunteering and fundraising. “With the help of our incredible volunteer community partners, the Food Bank can continue to provide food to families struggling to make ends meet during this difficult time,” Stermer added.

The agency also offers other programs such as the BackPack Program, which helps alleviate child hunger by discreetly providing children in need with backpacks full of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food on Friday afternoons, so they have food to eat throughout the weekend.

The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley receives several hundred thousand pounds of donated food and non-food items each week from the food industry. It also welcomes both food and financial donations. For more information, please visit. www.foodbankofthehudsonavalley.org

In 2020, the HG Realtor Foundation held several volunteer events at venues including Caritas of Port Chester, Green Chimneys in Brewster, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh, People to People in Nanuet, the Ronald McDonald House in Valhalla and park locations in Eastchester and Peekskill for the Westchester County Parks Foundation.

So far this year, the HG Realtor Foundation Program Committee has set up a March 31 event at Croton Gorge Park to help clean up walking trails, and a May 7 volunteer opportunity at Furniture Sharehouse in White Plains. For more information on these programs, please visit HGAR.com.