Jones Memorial Hospital Donates $20,000 to Area Food Banks

(photo) Brenda Mong-Szabo, VP of Specialty Services and Wellness Committee Chair delivers a donation from the Wellness Committee to Carol Dodge at the Wellsville Salvation Army.

Jones Memorial Donates $20,000 to Area Food Pantries

Investing in the Health and Wellness of our Community

 

WELLSVILLE, NY (April 28, 2025) --- Recently representatives from Jones Memorial Hospital toured the county and delivered monetary donations to 17 area food pantries. The road tour was part of an initiative to re-invest wellness dollars raised through the Ridgewalk & Run and the GLOW Run 5K back into the community. In 2023, $10,000 was donated to area food pantries in time for the holidays. This year, after raising over $27,000 at the 2024 Ridgewalk event, the wellness committee at Jones Memorial earmarked $20,000 for food pantries again -- double last year’s landmark donation!

Brenda Mong-Szabo, VP of Specialty Services and Wellness Committee Chair delivers a check to Luke Granger, Pastor of the Cuba First Baptist church and Claudia Little, Lay Pastor and director of the Food Pantry in Cuba that supports and delivers food through the Cuba First Baptist Church, North Park Wesleyan, United Cuba Methodist, Our Lady of Angels and Christ Episcopal.

 

COMMITMENT TO CARING

Brenda Mong-Szabo, VP of Specialty Services and chairman of the Wellness Committee, expressed her gratitude for this community stating, “It’s because of the incredible support of community and our event partners that we are able to give back in such a direct and meaningful way. We realize that something as basic as putting food on the table is a struggle for many right in our own neighborhoods and we wanted to help alleviate that burden.”

 

Jim Helms, President and CEO at Jones Memorial Hospital, further expressed the hospital’s commitment to this initiative, stating, “We are honored and humbled at the trust placed in us by the community. We don’t take this responsibility lightly. Food insecurity is a leading concern identified in our community health assessment. Every dollar raised by our wellness events is re-invested back into our region. We hope to be able to make lasting and positive change through the work we do here.”

Brenda Mong-Szabo, VP of Specialty Services and Wellness Committee Chair delivers a donation from the Wellness Committee to Sharon Smith at Fillmore Church Center.

 

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE

Approximately 19% of US children lacked reliable access to adequate food in 2022, according to the US Department of Agriculture. This number has risen almost 50% since 2021. In Allegany County, the annual food budget shortfall amounts to over $5 million. This shows the real need for well funded and supported food pantries in our area.

 

A CALL TO ACTION

The hospital’s wellness fund is maintained through fund raising events including the annual RidgeWalk & Run and 5K Glow Walk & Run.

 

 

For more information or to register for any of these events, visit jones.urmc.edu.

And please consider donating to any of the following worthwhile area food banks and programs.

 

Alfred Area Food Pantry – Unity Methodist Church

Almond Community Church

Andover Central School

Angelica Food Pantry

Gospel Fellowship Church

Belmont Access Center

Bolivar Community Food Pantry

Larger Parish Church

Masters Tabernacle Pantry

Cuba First Baptist Church

Fillmore Church Center

Mission Agape, Friendship Church of God in Christ

Houghton Wesleyan Church

Portville Community Food Pantry

Rushford Food Pantry

Wellsville Salvation Army

Catholic Charities

Wellsville Community Kitchen