The parent company of Spectrum News 1 is joining in the fight to end hunger in the Rochester community.

Spectrum, owned by Charter Communications, is donating $5,000 to Foodlink. The money will be used to support the non-profit's food pantry. 

This comes as Foodlink says there has been a recent increase in the need for emergency food in the region. The organization's director of marketing and communications, Mark Dwyer, says these generous donations help them do the work that's needed.

"We have a pretty critical mission of ending hunger [and] building healthy communities in the Rochester community," Dwyer said. "There are thousands of people that need our assistance that need extra food every single day. All donations that we get go directly to the mission supporting the work that we do."

Rochester City Council President Miguel Melendez says its an important investment for families.

"This is significant in terms of having access to healthy food in the city of Rochester," said Melendez. "I know Foodlink services many counties as well. But this provides capital to purchase food and distribute food to pantries and support programs like Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables."

Foodlink says the donation itself equates to about 15,000 meals.

If you are in need of assistance, visit the Find Food section of Foodlink's Website.