Manlius — The holiday season is upon us — a time where many people look for ways to give back to those who are less fortunate. But something many people may not realize is that there is a need to support people in their own communities year-round.
“There’s a real hunger in the FM area. I go to school and I look around in a classroom and I’m guaranteed to see at least one kid who I know whose family comes here,” said Linda Napier, director of the FM Community Outreach. “Our hunger and our poverty is woven into the community much more because we’re in the suburbs; and it is growing. I’ve been here eight years now, and I know for a fact I’m not tapping into what the need really is.”
Local retailer Paola Kay Gift Shop is looking to help people realize this need by selling stackable charm bracelets to benefit the FM Community Outreach.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is it’s not just Thanksgiving and Christmas that you should give food — hunger is year-round,” said Wendy Lee, owner of Paola Kay Gift Shop in Fayetteville.
The FM Community Outreach is a non-profit organization that serves as a food pantry the Fayetteville and Manlius communities by providing 15 meals per month per person in a family that qualifies based on family size and income. Food products that are provided include produce, meat, cheese, yogurt, cereal, juice and eggs, among other choices. Napier said the FM Community Outreach is a member of the Food Bank of Central New York, which allows access to education, nutritional information and reduced prices for USDA overage products such as meat and dairy products.
In addition to providing meals to supplement families that need it, the organization also provides families with children’s clothing from grades K through 12, cleaning products, personal hygiene products and other essentials such as toilet paper and hand soap, which are not included under SNAP benefits.
continued — Napier said she has seen a huge amount of support from the FM community from other community organizations, churches, school groups and businesses, such as Paola Kay, who is currently selling stackable bracelets from the Chavez for Charity 11th Project line to benefit the FM Community Outreach.
“Julie Chavez started an accessory line that would represent 10 of her favorite charities,” said Lee. “It was really made to inspire and motivate people to help and support. So she offers what she calls the 11th project, which allows store owners to pick their own specific charity. We picked up on it and chose the FM Community Outreach.”
Lee said each bracelet is sold for $10.99, and there are hundreds of styles to choose from. A percentage of each bracelet sold is given to the FM Community Outreach, and that donation is matched by the Chavez for Charity project.
“It’s really double duty in that way. We chose the food pantry because it’s local and we wanted the funds to all stay locally and inspire and motivate people to help out in a small way,” said Lee. “I’ve always felt like the community has supported me, so it’s a way of returning the favor.”
Napier said the FM Community Outreach was started about eight years ago as a way to bring together the various food pantries in the churches throughout Fayetteville and Manlius area. It was previously known as the FM Food Pantry, but the official name has been changed because the organization offers other services in addition to being a food pantry.
Since the beginning, Napier said the number of people who use the food pantry services at the FM Community Outreach has nearly doubled.
“The numbers are staggering,” said Napier “We gave out 60,000 meals in 2014 and we have around 380 people, or about 150 families, registered at this time.”
continued — Donations for the FM Community Outreach are accepted at 122 E. Seneca St. in Manlius from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays and 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays. Drop-off boxes for non-perishable foods are located at both the Manlius Library and the Fayetteville Free Library during their normal hours.
In addition to donations of food, clothing and essentials, people can also make monetary donations, which are tax exempt, by calling the FM Community Outreach at 682-3688.
Those interested in buying stackable bracelets from Paolo Kay can visit the store at 105 Brooklea Drive in Fayetteville or learn more about the shop by visiting their Facebook.
