Citizens Bank Foundation provides support for Community Missions' kitchen

The community soup kitchen program at Community Missions recently received a $4,000 check from the Citizens Bank Foundation in support of its hunger relief efforts. The check was presented Thursday to Robyn L. Krueger, executive director of Community Missions, by Citizens Bank Senior Vice President Stephen Scello.

Open six days each week, the kitchen serves an average of 125 individuals each day, and provides more than just a warm meal to those in need. Guests dining in the kitchen are able to take home loaves of bread thanks to local bakeries, and learn about new programs in the area that come in to raise awareness. In addition, guests can also visit the clothes closet to select clothes, accessories and household items that have been donated.

"Many individuals and families are facing challenging times, and their budgets are stretched," said James P. Gaspo, president of Citizens Bank, New York. "By supporting Community Missions of Niagara Frontier, we can ensure that our neighbors have a place to go when they need a nutritious meal and support from their community."

The support from the Citizens Bank Foundation will go directly to purchase food for the kitchen. Already in 2013, the agency has seen a 20 percent increase in its crisis housing services, while the winter months are typically the busiest for the Mission's crisis services.

"We are so thankful for the support of the Citizens Bank Foundation," Krueger said. "The community soup kitchen helps hundreds of people each week, and we literally could not do so without the generosity of organizations like the Citizens Bank Foundation. This gift comes at a wonderful time for the agency, as the coming weeks will be the busiest of the year across our crisis service programs."

For more information about Community Missions, visit www.communitymissions.org.