Huddle for Hunger | How the Bills and their partners aim to battle food insecurity in WNY

Oct 23, 2023 at 11:52 AM

Patrick Warren

Contributing Correspondent

Buffalo Bills Fan Food Drive and Huddle for Hunger High School Challenge with the Rookie Club at One Bills Drive, October 17, 2023.

As a two-time Pro Bowl left tackle, Dion Dawkins knows the importance of eating a balanced and consistent diet.

"Food is energy, food is power, food helps the brain and for you to start your day without a meal, you're starting off at a negative," Dawkins said at East Community High School on Tuesday.

Dion’s Dreamers, Dawkins' official foundation, donated $10,000 to FeedMore WNY, a non-profit organization whose mission is "to offer dignity, hope and a brighter future by providing nutritious food, friendship and skills training" to the Western New York Community.

The donation was marked specifically for FeedMore's 2023-24 school food pantry program, which provides students with a variety of groceries, including vegan and halal options, for students to take home.

Half of Dawkins' donation went directly to East Community High School's food pantry.

This week, the Bills along with Wegmans will promote the team's Huddle for Hunger initiatives. From Monday, Oct. 23 to Thursday, Oct. 26, Wegmans will donate proceeds from all Meals 2GO orders up to $50,000 towards the 20 Huddle for Hunger charities who are working in WNY fighting food insecurity.

On Thursday, net proceeds from this week's 50/50 raffle will also benefit the 20 different Huddle for Hunger charities working with the Bills Foundation on this cause.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 50/50 RAFFLE TICKETS FOR THURSDAY'S GAME

Big thanks to @DDawkins66 from the @BuffaloBills for joining us at East High School today! We appreciate your support with @feedmorewny Food Pantry and your time spent with our students. 🙌🏈🍎 pic.twitter.com/RzhXoyTnbV
— Buffalo Schools (@Buffalo_Schools) October 17, 2023

According to data provided by Erie County Legislator Howard Johnson, more than 45 percent of people live below the poverty line in Buffalo and Erie County and more than 12 percent of Erie County is food insecure.

Food insecurity is defined as the condition of not having access to sufficient food, or food of adequate quality. This issue was put on a national spotlight last year, when a man committed a racially motivated mass shooting at the East Side Tops Market, killing 10 people, all of whom were Black.

Despite over 12,000 people residing in the area (according to the 2020 Decennial Census), Tops is the only grocery store in the zip code, which is roughly 78 percent Black. Predominantly Black neighborhoods in Buffalo have 0.43 times the number of supermarkets as predominantly white neighborhoods.

The food access disparity in the East Side community is a microcosm of a widespread problem throughout the region. Catherine Shick, the public relations manager of FeedMore WNY, spoke about the problem, which was exacerbated by the pandemic and has only grown more dire.

"Unfortunately, food insecurity remains very prevalent right here in Western New York," Shick said at East Community High. "We have not seen those numbers drop in terms of those who need food assistance. Last year alone, FeedMore WNY served over 197,500 individuals throughout Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua County and we've been talking to many of our partner food pantries throughout our four-county service area who've been saying that they've continued to see numbers rise."