Rosina Food Products Donates 14,400 Pounds of Meatballs to FeedMore WNY

On March 9, FeedMore WNY received an incredible donation of 900 cases of frozen meatballs from Rosina Food Products. The donation consisted of 14,400 pounds, or 552,000 individual meatballs across Rosina’s Chicken, Homestyle and Italian Style varieties and will help provide approximately 100,800 hot, hearty meals for Western New York families. The delivery of meatballs, which was provided on National Meatball Day, marks the largest single-day food contribution in Rosina’s history.

The entire donation consists of frozen protein — one of the most in-demand and hardest-to-source items for food banks. FeedMore WNY rarely receives large-scale frozen protein donations and typically must purchase meat products to meet community need, which can be a significant and costly budget item.

“FeedMore WNY is incredibly grateful for this generous donation from Rosina Food Products to help nourish our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Protein is a critical component of a healthy diet and the heart of a complete meal, yet oftentimes it can be hard or costly for hunger-relief organizations to obtain. Thanks to our partners at Rosina, we will be able to provide nutrient-rich, delicious meatballs to our network of food pantries and hunger-relief agencies across Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. We also are thrilled to be able to incorporate these hearty meatballs in meals for the older adults and homebound neighbors who participate in our home-delivered meals program,” Tara A. Ellis, president and CEO of FeedMore WNY, said.

FeedMore WNY’s partnership with Rosina’s extends past the plate. FeedMore WNY and Rosina’s also share a connection through FeedMore WNY’s free workforce development program, known as Readying Individuals for Success and Employment – or RISE. Through our two current courses in Warehousing and Logistics, and Culinary and Food Manufacturing, students earn nationally recognized certifications to prepare them for their career, as well as gain essential life skills to achieve financial self-sufficiency.

Matthew Padilla graduated from our RISE program in September and now works as a warehouse supervisor at Rosina’s meatball production plant. He attended the National Meatball Day donation and Celebration in FeedMore WNY’s warehouse in a full-circle moment for both organizations.

“RISE helped me see new possibilities for myself,” said Padilla. “It means a lot to see Rosina supporting the same program that helped me get here.”