New Van Puts People to People on the Road to Feed More Rocklanders

First Niagara Foundation Donates $7,500 

People to People (PtoP), Rockland’s largest food pantry providing food and other services to families and seniors in need, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a $7,500 grant from First Niagara Bank Foundation. The funds have been used to purchase a new delivery van to help Rockland County residents who are struggling to make ends meet and put food on their tables.

The van crisscrosses Rockland County every day picking up food from major donors such as BJs, Cheesecake Factory, Red Lobster, churches and more, as well as, delivering food to children from low-income families at sites including the Haverstraw Center and the Nyack Center. In addition, the van is utilized several times a month to pick up food from the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. 

“The People to People van is essential to us in our role as Rockland’s largest food pantry,” said Diane Serratore, People to People Executive Director. “Each month, thousands of pounds of food are transported by this van from food sources, to the pantry where it is distributed to thousands of struggling Rocklanders who need help putting food on their tables.”

Serratore continued, “All of us at People to People are so very grateful to the First Niagara Foundation and to Schultz Ford for their support in getting our new van.”

“First Niagara is a part of the Rockland community and it is committed to helping make the community a better place for all of us. We are proud to help our neighbors through difficult times. This van is a tangible way to support People to People in its ongoing efforts to battle hunger in our community,” said Sara Tucker, First Vice President, Regional Team Leader, Hudson Valley Business Banking for First Niagara.

As one of the largest banks in the region, First Niagara now has nearly 420 branches in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts, and 26 branches in the Hudson Valley, including Blauvelt, New City, Nyack, Pearl River, Spring Valley, Stony Point, Suffern and Tappan. 

For more information on People to People or how to donate, visit www.peopletopeopleinc.org.

About People to People:

People to People, Rockland’s largest food pantry, is feeding Rockland’s hungry by providing nearly 1,200 families (that’s about 4,000 people) with groceries, produce, dairy and meat or poultry products every month.  In addition, People to People works to help an ever-increasing number of struggling Rocklanders through difficult times with dignity by providing clothing, school supplies, refurbished computers and other support. For more information, contact Diane Serratore at 845-623-4913 or at diane@peopletopeopleinc.org.

About First Niagara

First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank with approximately 420 branches, $38 billion in assets, $27 billion in deposits, and approximately 5,800 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.

First Niagara Foundation is a not for profit corporation founded in 1998.  The Foundation is committed to supporting organizations in the communities in which we live and work with specific focus on youth and education, community development and neighborhood revitalization. In 2012 the Foundation contributed more than $10 million in charitable grants to community partners.  For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com/community