A big part of The Assist is focused on giving back. And this year, more than ever, we want to be here for our community - our neighbors and friends. Given the uncertainty of SNAP, owner, Christina Whiteside is organizing a food drive for the Food Bank of Central New York.

How? From November 10th through the 25th, The Assist is hosting several boxes at local businesses in CNY for community members to drop off non-perishable items to benefit the Food Bank of Central New York. If you’d prefer to make a monetary contribution please click here to donate.

Lets Feed The Hungry, together!

The Food Bank of Central New York is leading the effort to eliminate hunger in our region through partnership, education, advocacy, and distribution of nutritious food. The Food Bank of Central New York serves 11 counties and distributes millions of pounds of food annually. Visit the Food Bank’s website here >>

Our Business Partners

Salt City Coffee (3 locations)

Soul Society

Project LeanNation Syracuse

Synple

Helping people access not only healthy meals but food in general is deeply important to me. My family immigrated from Ukraine in 1991, and during those early years, we often relied on the generosity of others for support. That assistance made a lasting impact on us, and I am incredibly grateful for it. Having experienced firsthand the difference that access to food and community support can make, I’ve always felt a strong desire to give back. Now that I’m in a position to help, supporting others—whether through healthy meals, nutrition education, or community initiatives—is my way of paying forward the kindness we once received.
— Raisa Zhovklaya, Owner of Project LeanNation

Meet the Artists

Instead of placing an ordinary brown box in each business to collect donations, The Assist put a call out to the Arts Community to seek Artists interested in donating their talents and time to thoughtfully paint and design our Food Drive boxes. We are pleased to share the four artists collaborating with us for our Thanksgiving fundraiser.

Ally Walker

Ally will design the donation box for Salt City Coffee.

Smile It’s Healthy

Smile will design the donation box for Project LeanNation.

Blade

Blade will design the donation box for Soul Society.

Jan Lane

Jan will design the donation box for Synple.

SNAP benefits disrupted for over 40 MILLION NEIGHBORS

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is the largest nutrition assistance program in the U.S., helping millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families access essential groceries. In addition to making nutritious food affordable and accessible for households, every dollar in SNAP generates greater economic activity locally.

The Assist provides superior administrative support to small businesses remotely. That same kind of support is extended to our community right here in Central New York. No one, absolutely no one, should go hungry in one of the world's richest country - the United States. CNY is my home and it's incumbent on everyone to help our neighbors in need. We are thrilled to host this Food Drive in partnership with so many wonderful members of the community. We hope you’ll consider making a donation. Thank you!

- Christina