Saratoga Springs, NY, July 22, 2017 – Leonard Bus Sales has partnered with The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, and six other regional food banks, to help end child hunger and raise awareness of the importance of supporting local food banks throughout New York State.
Leonard Bus Sales, the region’s distributor of IC Bus and Trans Tech brand school buses, is supporting school-based backpack and food pantry programs that provide meals to children when they are not in school. The company donated the equivalent of the average cost to feed one child over a weekend per attendee at the New York Association for Pupil Transportation’s annual School Transportation Conference held at the Albany Marriott on Wolf Road in Colonie from July 15th – 19th.
“Our company has been committed to providing safe school buses to protect children for over fifty-years,” said Leonard Bus Sales Vice President, Jon Leonard. “Partnering with regional food banks to provide meals for kids in need is just an extension of our commitment.”
“We are very grateful to Leonard Bus Sales for helping the Regional Food Bank feed hungry children through our BackPack Program,” said Executive Director of The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Mark Quandt. “We have learned through research that children who participate in the BackPack Program attend school more regularly, perform better, and have fewer disciplinary problems. Through this special promotion, Leonard Bus Sales will be improving the health and well-being of many children in the Capital Region, the Lower Hudson Valley and throughout New York State.”
A representative from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York was on-hand at the conference to answer questions about the program.
Instead of spending money on promotional giveaways at industry conferences and events, Leonard Bus Sales decided to establish partnerships with local food banks and allocate those resources to helping hungry children. The company is partnering with a total of seven regional food banks across New York State to support school-based backpack and food pantry programs servicing fifty-seven counties.
“Leonard Bus Sales has committed to donating one backpack per event attendee for each of the events it attends,” said Leonard. “The seven participating food banks will be provided a proportionate share of the meals donated based on the number of children they serve.”
In the fifty-seven counties in New York served by the program, approximately 22,000 children per week benefit from these programs — Leonard Bus Sales will be helping feed approximately 4,000 children per year.
Jon Leonard concluded, “In addition to providing meals for children in need, we hope to raise awareness at each event and raise additional money for local food banks.”
Established by Feeding America (feedingamerica.org), the national Backpack program provides meals to over 450,000 children in need during the time they are not at school. The food is usually discretely distributed at the end of the school day, and given to the child when they leave for the weekend or vacation.
According to estimates, 13-million children in the US are threatened by hunger each year. This threat can jeopardize a child’s development and ability to succeed. Often, hungry children have a tougher time focusing on school and their future. Proper nutrition feeds positive physical and mental development and can lead to better academic and economic achievement.
To learn more about school-based hunger program or to find regional food banks in your area, Leonard Bus Sales recommends going to feedingamerica.org.
Caption: (From L to R) Sales & Marketing Coordinator for Leonard Bus Sales, Jourdan Pignatelli and Heidi Epting, Children’s Programs Coordinator at The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY are seen here at the Leonard Bus Sales booth during the New York Association for Pupil Transportation at the Marriot on Wolf Road in the Town of Colonie.
Leonard Bus Sales, Inc. is owned and operated by the Leonard family, a recognized leader in the distribution and support of quality, environmentally-friendly school buses. A third-generation family owned business, Leonard Bus Sales has been providing cost-saving fleet management services and award-winning customer support for over fifty years. Leonard Bus Sales is a leading distributor of IC BusTM brand buses in Upstate New York and distributes Trans Tech Type-A school buses throughout New York. Leonard Bus Sales operates four full-service facilities in Bergen, Deposit, Rome, and Saratoga Springs and a Trans Tech-only Type-A facility in Garden City Park, N.Y. www.leonardbus.com
About the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York: The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that collects donated food from the food industry and distributes it to nearly 1,000 charitable agencies feeding the hungry in 23 counties of northeastern New York. The food provided by the Regional Food Bank helps to feed over 40,000 people each week. In 2016, the organization distributed over 36 million pounds of food to the hungry. The Regional Food Bank is a member of Feeding America. The organization is supported by foundations, private contributions and fundraising events. For information on services offered by the Regional Food Bank, call (518) 786-3691 or log on to www.regionalfoodbank.net.
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