MetLife Foundation Donates $100,000 to Food Bank of Central New York to Help Those Impacted by Coronavirus
Thursday, March 26, 2020
ORISKANY, NY, March 20, 2020 — MetLife Foundation announced today that it is donating $100,000 to Food Bank of Central New York to help deal with increased demand for their services as a result of coronavirus.
Food banks face the challenge of getting shelf-stable food into people’s homes as quickly as possible, especially now that vulnerable populations such as the elderly have been advised to practice social distancing. In addition, food banks face greater need from families with children who no longer have access to meals at schools. “We want to help those impacted by coronavirus,” said Mike Zarcone, head of Corporate Affairs for MetLife and Chairman of MetLife Foundation. “That includes the communities in upstate New York where we work and live. We know that children out of school and seniors face food insecurity as a result of COVID-19, and we are committed to help.” Food Bank of Central New York serves an 11-country area stretching from Chenango County in New York’s Southern Tier region to St. Lawrence County along the Canadian border.
“As we are faced with a public health crisis, these funds will help to ensure that we can provide nutritious food to individuals and families struggling with hunger,” said Food Bank Interim Executive Director Karen Belcher. “With the reduction in the workforce due to COVID-19, there is an increase in individuals and families accessing our emergency food network. Many of these people are those whose employment status has recently changed and are unable to make ends meet. This generous donation will help us meet this increased need in the weeks ahead.”
For more information about this donation, please contact Lynn Hy at 315-437-1899 ext. 247 or by email at lhy@foodbankcny.org.
