ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Volunteers from ASEZ WAO (Save the Earth from A to Z – We Are One Family), a young-adult worker volunteer group from the World Mission Society Church of God, worked with The Food Pantries of the Capital District to carry out a community drive drop-off ceremony Sunday. As part of ASEZ WAO’s Well-Being Promotion campaign, local volunteers, companies, police, and fire departments came together to collect most-needed goods, like hygiene products and infant needs. Over the course of three weeks, from April 19 to May 6, 10 boxes with over 481 pounds of goods were collected.
Typically, food pantries will distribute items to the community, but hygiene and infant needs products are not included in those distributions. Alexandra Hankins, an AmeriCorps VISTA for the Food Pantry for the Capital District, who works as the Community Communications Coordinator, emphasized the importance of this community drive. “[Hygiene products and infant needs] are so important as they are not covered by the state” “when families do have SNAP and they are able to use that money for food, they cannot use that money for this kind of products… which are necessities. So having these products donated are extremely important,” said Alexandra.
Officers from the Schenectady and Rensselaer Police Departments joined ASEZ WAO volunteers in unloading and organizing supplies in accordance with each County’s needs (Rensselaer, Schenectady, Albany, and Saratoga counties). “We’re happy to be a part of this today… many times we get involved in collecting food items.. but we can easily forget collecting some of the [other] necessities that people need for day-to-day life,” said Lieutenant Ryan Macherone of the Schenectady Police Department.
ASEZ WAO volunteers aim to carry out volunteer work with the heart of a mother. Volunteers said Sunday they hoped to support and encourage these behind-the-scenes heroes on Mother’s Day with much-needed infant care.