ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Black Young Professionals organized a drive thru community food drive to help local charities fill their food pantries.

Carmen Allen spent her day collecting food donations.  She represents Beyond the Sanctuary, which is a closet and food pantry that operates out of Memorial AME Zion Church.

What You Need To Know

  • The Rochester Black Young Professionals organized a drive thru community food drive to help local charities fill their food pantries

  • The public was able to drop off perishable food items Memorial AME Zion Church, Cameron Community Ministries, First Genesis Baptist Church, and the Brighton Food Cupboard

  • While the Rochester Black Young Professionals aim to host another community food drives, Carmen Allen encourages everyone to help in any way they can

"We have a lot of food insecurity in Rochester and something like this critical for us to continue to do our work," Allen said.

The public was able to drop off perishable food items Memorial AME Zion Church, Cameron Community Ministries, First Genesis Baptist Church, and the Brighton Food Cupboard.

"We know from a lot of studies and reports that have come out that food insecurity is a huge issue in Rochester,” said Taren Greenidge, the president of Rochester Black Young Professionals said. “Over 60,000 will suffer from food insecurity alone because of the pandemic so we really wanted to do something to help and do our part to make a difference in the community to try to assess such a huge issue."

Allen explains that when Beyond the Sanctuary opened its food pantry in 2017, they were only feeding 40 to 50 families a week, but since the beginning of the pandemic that number has ballooned to more than 200.

She is thankful that the community has continued to support them as the need for more food grows.

"It's been a blessing beyond my ability to describe. The Young Black Professionals in Rochester, putting this on. There's so many other things that they could be doing right now but they are an example of how this community pulls together," said Allen.

While the Rochester Black Young Professionals aim to host another community food drives, Allen encourages everyone to help in any way they can.

"There are ways to donate to contribute or just come out and volunteer, even just coming in one week and helping pack bags,” said Allen. “Gives you a sense of what you are contributing to the community and puts you in touch with the real need is."

For more of the Rochester Black Young Professionals efforts, click here.