Broadview FCU's check presentation to area food pantries (Source: Broadview FCU).
In an effort to help the tens-of-thousands facing food insecurity in the upstate New York region, the Albany, N.Y.-based Broadview Federal Credit Union donated $500,000 to 51 area food banks and pantries. A portion of that donation will also go toward the purchase of a hydroponic "container farm" to assist in growing fresh produce for area food pantries throughout the year.
According to the most recent data from the USDA, more than 34 million people in the United States are food insecure.
In a statement from Broadview FCU ($8 billion in assets, 505,365 members) on Dec. 22, food insecurity is a major problem throughout the Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse and Buffalo areas. "Broadview is helping to feed individuals and families across the state and giving them hope for brighter days ahead," the statement read. "The half-million-dollar donation focuses on addressing the immediate and increasing need for food while also helping local nonprofits plan for tomorrow."
According to Broadview officials, $370,000 of the donation amount will be distributed to 51 food banks and pantries in the credit union's geographic footprint.
"Every year we do this, no matter what is happening in the world, the need continues to become greater," said Broadview CEO Michael Castellana. "These organizations are helping our neighbors every single day. I'm happy we are supporting them, but my ultimate goal is to put them all out of business by ending hunger. If we work together, not just Broadview, but the community at large, we can stop this need and feed everyone in our community."
Broadview FCU's check presentation to area food pantries (Source: Broadview FCU). The pantries receiving the donation are part of the Food Pantries for the Capital District which serves 50,000 to 65,000 people each year.
Executive Director of the Food Pantries for the Capital District, Natasha Pernicka said, "I want to thank Broadview for taking a stand against hunger and for being such a community leader to help work with us to make the dollars go as far as they can so people have food today while we work on solving hunger in the big picture."
The other $130,000 of the donation amount will go to the purchase of a Freight Farm, which is a self-contained hydroponic system that will provide fresh, organic produce for the community throughout the year.
According to Broadview, this is the fourth such Freight Farm the credit union has financed for community service groups in the area. The Freight Farm purchase will go to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern N.Y., which serves people in 23 counties.
Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York Chief Operating Officer, Nick Pisani said, "The Freight Farm will allow us to grow produce 365 days a year. We can be culturally relevant and grow the appropriate greens that our neighbors in need want, which we don't have readily available and that we don't get donated."
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
