We’re 4 helping our Community: News 4 team volunteers for FeedMore WNY

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Whether working in front of the camera or behind the scenes, many members of our News 4 team are volunteering to help FeedMore WNY. This is part of a company-wide event called “Nexstar Founder’s Day of Caring.”

Last year, 17,500 hours of volunteer work were served at 240 charitable locations company-wide.

“Most of us are Western New Yorkers,” said reporter Marlee Tuskes. “But even if we’re not, when we work for News 4 we become Western New Yorkers. We want to be able to give back to our neighbors and Founder’s Day allows us to do just that.”

“You learn a lot about what’s needed in the local community,” said Rose Porter, a sales representative at News 4. “It just feels good to give back, everyone should try it.”

“When we pack the backpacks and when we’re out here in the garden, you can see directly how that’s going to go and help kids in need and that feels awesome,” said News 4 digital executive producer Nick Veronica.

“Supporting organizations like FeedMore, supporting your local food pantries through volunteering, through funding, through food is so incredibly important right now as a lot of families really struggle,” said donor engagement director of FeedMore Cait Evans. “many of which for the first time, with food insecurity.”

FeedMore WNY’s warehouse sends out more than a million pounds of food to the community every month, but they say with the rising cost of food and pandemic benefits ending last year, they’re noticing more families and facing a gap between what families can afford versus what they need to feed their loved ones.

“The most important thing is to really understand that food insecurity looks a lot different to a lot of people,” said Evans. “It’s in a lot of places where you don’t always think.”

They hold multiple programs to fill that gap throughout Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, and Cattaraugus counties every day.

“Really what we do is serve as an advocate for our members, our community that needs help,” Evans said. “Whether it’s through our backpack program, that’s servicing students, through the home delivered meals program, servicing our home-bound neighbors, or the food bank program that functions throughout 400 pantries and partners throughout Western New York.”

They tell us their operations could not be completed without the help of volunteers. If you are interested, you can click here for more information.

Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here .