Submitted Photo Picture from left to right: Alex Majka, Randy Sherman, Ellen Luczkowiak, Bridgette Majka, Denise Zentz, Sandy Jakubowski, and Stacey Thrasher.

A simple fundraiser resulted in a major impact on the battle with food insecurity in northern Chautauqua County.

Thanks to the efforts of Denise Zentz and several members in her Dunkirk community, a donation was given to the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry for $11,000 to combat food insecurity around the holidays.

Food insecurity is an issue now as much as ever. No community is immune, and no time of the year is, either. But as uncertainty grew surrounding SNAP benefits during the government shutdown, Zentz saw the need in her community and put a plan in motion.

“About a month ago, during the government shutdown, it broke my heart to know that local families might not have the means to feed their children,” Zentz said.

From scrolling through Facebook, Zentz kept seeing different members of the community doing something to help, from a coat drive to knitting hats and gloves for people in need of winter supplies, to others supporting neighborhood food pantries. Zentz said, “I had to do something to help.”

Zentz learned that the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry was in desperate need of filling its food pantry, so she started reaching out to people throughout the community to help.

It was then that the idea for a Buffalo Bills prize raffle took off.

Zentz organized a fundraiser, titled, “Touchdowns for the Table”, selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a Buffalo Bills tailgate pack with tickets to the Dec. 28 home game against the Philadelphia Eagles. In roughly two weeks, Zentz and a team of 28 others helped sell 1,000 tickets. There was also a donation from a personal friend of one of the volunteers who contributed $1,000 because they were so impressed by the group’s efforts.

In total, $11,000 was raised for the Rural Ministry. A check was delivered earlier this week.

As organizer, Zentz was referred to by some of her volunteers as Santa, with the ones helping her along the way playing the role of elves. Among those involved with the process include Ellen Luczkowiak, Sandy Jakubowski, Alex Majka, Bridgette Majka, Randy Sherman, and Stacey Thrasher.

“To everyone who helped coordinate and sell tickets, donated items, spread the word, and keep the spirit of giving alive — thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Zentz said. “Your time, your energy, and your kindness made this fundraiser a huge success and will help fill tables for families in our community this holiday season.”