Rochester Elks donates $4G to help stock food pantry shelves

From left, Matt Sanborn, Exalted Ruler, Rochester Elks; Skip Smith, Exec. Director, Share Fund; Jerry Rainville, Chairman of the Board, Share Fund; and Norm Gervais, Rochester Elks Secretary and Lodge ENF Chairman. (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Rochester Elks Lodge #1393,presented the Rochester Share Fund with a check for $4,000 on Wednesday.
The donation was made possible by a Beacon Grant obtained from the Elks National Foundation. Accepting the donation were Share Fund Representatives Skip Smith, Executive Director; and Jerry Rainville, chairman of the Board of Directors.
The SHARE Fund reaches out to neighbors in our community who are in need of help during difficult times, provides innovative program services to guide families on a path to self-sufficiency, and refers them to other agencies and resources when eligible, thus maximizing aid.
One of the programs administered by the SHARE Fund is Gerry's Emergency Food Pantry. Last year the pantry saw a 93 percent increase in households served by the pantry.
The SHARE Fund began nearly 30 years ago as an outreach ministry of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in Rochester and has been an emergency as well as essential service provider for low-income residents struggling to meet their basic needs.
In 2008, the SHARE Fund became an independent 501(c)3 public charity/non-profit, managed by its Executive Director and Board of Directors.
The SHARE Fund addresses pressing financial crises by offering assistance with basic needs of food, affordable housing, utilities, clothing, and medical needs.
For more info about the Share Fund and the Elks, please visit https://www.sharefund.org/programsandservices and https://www.elks.org