ACCORD Corporation is spearheading this multi-agency effort to put food on the table
From Andrew Harris, 11/5/21
Recently while driving from Andover to Wellsville I noticed a semi-truck unloading pallets of food at the Allegany-Steuben ARC(PWI building) on Rt. 417. The cases of fresh fruit and vegetables caught my eye, and curiosity.
A little research and the ongoing effort to provide free nutritious food to residents by the ACCORD Corporation came into view. This effort isn’t a soup kitchen or free hot meals; this is a large box of food per family who registers. Grapefruits, salad, meat, cheese, and many other staples are included in each box that is provided by a partnership with Foodlink, a non-profit with a purpose:
“Food Access. Food Literacy. Career Empowerment. Our mission is to end hunger, but our overarching goal isn’t to “feed the need” in our communities. We aim to “shorten the line” with upstream approaches to address food insecurity. Learn more about the many programs we offer that help drive change and build healthier communities, which complement the work we do as a food bank to ensure no one goes hungry. “
The partnerships that make this sort of high-impact operation work is what most impressed me most about these large scale food distributions. While ACCORD acts as the organizer, and Foodlink acts as the supplier, they couldn’t deliver the goods without major supporters. The Allegany-Steuben ARC provided the location for the event at the PWI building on the Andover Road/Rt. 417 and some volunteer help(and a forklift to unload the pallets of food.)
Another well known county non-profit organization, Cornell Cooperative Extension, has played a regular role in putting the events together. Executive Director Laura Hunsberger was on the scene this week helping the group process hundreds of vehicles who had pre-registered for the event.
Pre-registration is very important to emphasize: Anyone who is interested in participating must pre-registered to be eligible. Supply is limited, both in food and the labor to distribute that food. If you want to register for the next distribution please call 585 449 0110.
Read our reporting early this year about the ACCORD and Cornell Cooperative Extension partnership
