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Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski recently joined WNY Food 4 Paws and other community partners at St. Casimir’s Church Food Pantry to introduce a service to residents of Niagara County: pet food pantries.
WNY Food 4 Paws is a newly created nonprofit whose mission is to support food pantries that provide pet food to families experiencing financial hardships. WNY Food 4 Paws works directly with manufacturers, pet supply stores, grocery stores and community partners to acquire pet food and other pet supplies it redistributes to established food pantries and pet food pantries in Niagara and Erie counties.
“Food insecurity is on the rise across the country and in our community,” Jastrzemski said. “The use of food banks has significantly increased during these difficult times, and families also need help feeding their pets. The ability to provide appropriate, nutritious food for their cat or dog may be a contributing factor that determines if a family can keep the pet or is forced to surrender it to an animal shelter or rescue. The bond between people and their pets is well known, and to hear that some people have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their pets is heartbreaking.”
The Niagara County Clerk’s office is one of several community partners that will host WNY Food 4 Paws donation barrels at the Lockport, Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda DMV offices. Members of the public are encouraged to visit these locations and drop off donations of pet food and treats. For the complete list of barrel locations, visit wnyfood4paws.org.
“My office is thankful for the opportunity to support this important initiative. I encourage our residents to donate what they can – every bag, every can of food helps,” Jastrzemski added. “It is only through a collaborative community effort that WNY Food 4 Paws will be successful in providing sustained support to the food pantries that serve families with pets.”
In addition to the donation barrels at the DMV offices, a barrel will be onsite at the 2022 Niagara County Fair in the tent shared by the county clerk, sheriff, and other county departments.
For more information:
√ WNY Food 4 Paws: visit www.wnyfood4paws.org,
√ Email: [email protected],
√ Facebook WNYFood4Paws
√ Niagara County DMV: https://www.niagaracounty.com/Departments/Motor-Vehicles-Department
√ For a list of food and pet food pantries: WNY 2.1.1