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Thursday, 16
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“Over the weekend, we suffered the loss of around $25,000 in frozen meat, pasta and other foods – food we need to make meals for homeless guests this week!” the Rev. John Cooper Jr., executive director of Niagara Gospel Mission, revealed Monday.
Leadership at Niagara Gospel Mission learned that, over the weekend, hundreds of pounds of frozen meat, pasta, dairy and other products were lost due to two accidents: in one case, a freezer power switch was hit and turned off when an unstable carton of food fell from a shelf; in another case, the freezer was shut off during inventory and power was not restored.
“Human error in both cases,” Cooper said. “When the food service team came in Monday morning, they discovered pools of blood on the floors outside one freezer, signaling thawed meat.
“The loss is enormous. We estimate a loss of at least $25,000 in food.”
Volunteers scramble to clean after food went bad over the weekend at Niagara Gospel Mission. (Submitted photos)
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Volunteers began emptying and cleaning the freezers immediately. None of the food was salvageable.
“Everything we lost came from donors – grocers, manufacturers and individual donors,” Cooper said. “This is weighing heavy on us, and we’ll be putting failsafes in place so neither accident happens again!”
Niagara Gospel Mission provides an average 160 meals each day to low-income and homeless individuals.
To donate toward the agency’s urgent need for food, cash and in-kind donations can be made or brought to Niagara Gospel Mission, 1317 Portage Road, Niagara Falls, New York 14302. Online gifts can be made at niagaragospelmission.org
Niagara Gospel Mission is a 501 (c)(3) Christian nonprofit providing services to the homeless and poor. Visit niagaragospemission.org to learn more.
1859 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island, NY 14072
Phone: 716-773-7676
Fax: 716-773-7190
