Farrell Roofing helps Rural Ministry with food drive. Submitted Photo.

Farrell Roofing is in the running for a People’s Choice Award. This award is voted on by members of the community at large and could ultimately benefit the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry with a cash award for their programs if chosen as the people’s choice.

Throughout the year, Farrell Roofing has assisted Chautauqua County Rural Ministry. Chautauqua County Rural Ministry, a human service agency that has been in existence for more than 50 years and has been serving Chautauqua County and surrounding areas for all of this time and will continue into the future.

Chautauqua County Rural Ministry is based on the belief that all persona are deserving of adequate food, clothing, shelter, and work opportunity to acquire basic necessities. It encourages self-determination and self-development to assist with the achievement of adequate economic levels of living and full political citizenship as persons of dignity and as contributing members of society. The purpose of the organization is to advocate for our disenfranchised sisters and brothers so that they may increasingly gain control of their lives. The need for help is always great, however 2019 was an especially trying year.

Bridget Majka, director of Programs said, “At the beginning of the year 2019, the federal SNAP Program was suspended. People eventually received their benefits but some were without benefits for approximately six weeks. When people did receive them, the cycle was off date so that they received the benefits they were supposed to last for six weeks. For many people, even though they were cautioned, felt like they were getting “extra” but the reality was very far from the truth. With so many families not receiving the benefits, the food pantries were over run. It was very difficult to keep food on the shelves. Families that had never utilized the food pantry previously walked through the doors looking for assistance. Every family was assisted. CCRM reached out to our community, seeking help. We needed food to help these people; Farrell Roofing answered our plea for help. They orchestrated a food drive within their organization to collect canned goods and non-perishable goods for the pantry. The food collected was 1,210 pounds of food! This equates $2,625.75. In addition to this, they sent a check worth $2,000 to purchase food for the pantry. The impact of this generosity is far reaching. The monetary amount here enables CCRM to assist 300 families in the Northern Chautauqua Region with approximately 4,200 meals. This is amazing.”

As the holiday season approached, Farrell once again sponsored families to make their holiday brighter. The first family sponsored has eight children who were given an amazing holiday. The second family had three children. Employees were so honored to be able to deliver the gifts and food to these families and make their holiday special and relieve the parents of that burden.

Majka states, “They overwhelmed the families with toys, gifts, clothing, coats, and food … all in efforts to assist families in having a happy holiday season. “This year Farrell has adopted three families who will receive full Christmases. We also orchestrated a food drive for the annual Thanksgiving baskets at Rural Ministry.

Throughout the year, members of the staff donated their time in Friendly Kitchen, serving meals there, working fundraisers for CCRM to help the less fortunate in our city.

To help Farrell Roofing and Chautauqua County Ruraly Ministry, login to this link and vote. Voting can occur from multiple devices.