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May 18, 2020Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area Celebrates 100,000 Meals Served with Commemorative Ceremony
On May 15th, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area (BGCCA) was joined by state legislators and local politicians to celebrate BGCCA’s delivery of 100,000 free meals. The food delivery service, which began on March 18th, serves over 13,000 meals each week at 12 locations in Albany and Troy.
“I feel truly grateful that we are able to provide such a critical service during this unprecedented time of need” said BGCCA CEO, Justin Reuter. “Through the hard work and dedication of our staff, volunteers and board, we have been able to almost triple the output of our regular meal production to meet the community’s current needs.”
BGCCA, which typically serves 1900 youth at 19 different locations in Albany & Rensselaer County, was forced to shut down its Clubhouses and school-based sites when the pandemic began back in March. While BGCCA was forced to close its after-school sites, the organization was ready to jump into action with their commercial kitchen that during the school year and summer, is producing and delivering 1,100 free meals daily.
Assemblymember John T. McDonald III commented “Although their services are critical and appreciated throughout the year, during this time of the pandemic their efforts are appreciated even more. To achieve a milestone of 100,000 meals in this short period of two months is a credit to their hard work yet also a recognition of the need in the community during this dark period in our nation’s history. Thankfully the BGCCR continues to do what they do best which is care for our community.”
The food service program, which serves around 2,200 meals Monday through Thursday and 4,400 on Friday’s to account for the weekend, continues to grow with community demand.
“For over 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area (BGCCA) has stepped up to help our communities during the Capital Region’s darkest hours,” said Assemblywoman Pat Fahy. “The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge on multiple levels, and I thank the BGCCA for providing thousands of families throughout the Capital Region with meals free-of-charge and for helping to reduce the wider food insecurity felt in our region as a result of this crisis. With so many working families and individuals struggling to afford rent and basic necessities, BGCCA’s mobile meal service has made a real and visible impact for so many in our area — a testament to strength and character of the larger Capital Region community.”
In addition to delivering meals, BGCCA continues to provide additional resources to families which have included:
- STEM kits with meal delivery through partnership with RPI
- Census information with meal delivery through partnership with Albany Housing Authority
- Additional food items with meal delivery through partnership with the Capital Region Food Bank
- Free Mother’s Day events for Capital Region mother’s/families through a partnership with Global Partners
Discussing the tremendous effort being made, Senator Neil D. Breslin stated “Our community is facing tremendous food insecurity and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Capital Area have stepped up to the challenge. 100,000 meals delivered is proof of the power we have when we work together. Thank you to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, RPI, the Cornell Cooperative Extension, NY Connects, the Census and everyone whose generosity is helping to feed those in need.”
BGCCA is also taking extra steps to connect with local families through a virtual social community called the #GreatFutures Group. The Club’s goal is to bring positivity to Capital Region homes through enriching and easy to set-up activities that all families can participate in. BGCCA will be posting virtual programming opportunities which will include activities with their Lyricism 101 program, workforce development initiatives, cooking and STEM Club and more. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/greatfuturesgroup to participate.
All of these efforts would not have been possible without the support of the Capital Region community. To date, the mobile meal delivery service has utilized over 100 volunteers and staff and logged well over 2,000 hours of service since the pandemic began.
To meet the operational costs for this critical service, BGCCA is currently using its limited financial reserves. Proper funding could allow the Club to produce 3,000 meals per day and serve more members of the community who need us most.
Every donation helps, no matter how small. Together, we have the ability to ensure that nobody goes without the nutrition needed to grow and maintain healthy immune systems. Donate via BGCCA’s Gofundme at gofundme.com/f/help-feed-our-youth, or if you prefer to donate by mail, checks can be sent to:
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area
21 Delaware Ave
Albany NY 12210
All funds collected will be used to provide meals for families in need, and to meet all operational costs for this critical service.
BGCCA continues to look for volunteers to aid in the preparation and distribution of these meals. If you are interested in assisting, contact clivezey@bgccapitalarea.org.
