SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Each year, a Syracuse non-profit provides thousands of meals through a holiday fundraising campaign.
The Rescue Mission Alliance partners with Wegmans to launch its Scan Away Hunger campaign. Shoppers at Wegmans, Thrifty Shopper, and other stores can scan a coupon at checkout to donate $2.34 to the alliance.
Gina Rapasadi, Director of Special Events at the Alliance, said the campaign raised over one hundred thousand dollars last year and is on track to top that figure this year. These funds allowed the alliance to provide meals to anyone who came to the food bank for the entire year.
“Hundreds of thousands, because if you figure every day we’re serving about seven hundred meals each day and we’re never closed,” Rapasadi said. “And then on Thanksgiving and Christmas, we’re delivering out to about two thousand people or more. So it’s thousands and thousands of meals.”
The campaign raised over $100,000 last year. It is already on track to top that total this year.
Despite this, the supply chain crisis has put a strain on the alliance’s food bank. Rapasadi said the group must plan meal orders far in advance to get ahead of inventory problems.
“Definitely I think worries about if you know the food’s gonna get here on time because there’s delays and things like that,” Rapasadi said. “So I think it’s just looking forward to seeing what do we need, putting the order out there, and then getting ahead of it.”
Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain management at Syracuse University, said a labor shortage amongst food providers and trucking companies has contributed to food shortages. Penfield said producers have the food but getting it to customers has proven increasingly difficult.
“There’s plenty of food in the food supply chain it’s just a question of trying to make sure that we can produce it and distribute it the way it needs to be done,” Penfield said.
Rapasadi said the alliance is anticipating larger crowds as the holidays approach.
Scan Away Hunger ends November 27.
