NORTHERN NEW YORK – Restaurants in Franklin County are stepping up in the fight against childhood hunger with the Taste of Malone fundraiser, scheduled for April 25, 2024.
This event calls on local restaurants and community members to unite and make a difference, ensuring children receive healthy, nutritious meals on the weekend during the school year. For many children, the only meals they receive are at school during the week, leaving the weekend with limited or no nutrition.
This year’s participating restaurants include:
- Bokie’s Drive-In
- Donovan’s Steak & Ale
- The Elks Lodge
- The Grille Room at Malone Golf Club
- Guiseppe’s Pizza
- Hosler’s Family Restaurant
- Mo’s Pub & Grill
- The Pines Tap & Table
- Riverside Steak & Seafood
- Something Different Pizza & Deli
- Smokehouse Pizzeria (Brainardsville)
- Scotty’s Diner (Moira)
- Township 7 Brewing Co (Dickinson Center)
Participating restaurants generously contribute 20 percent of revenue from dine-in and take-out orders on the day of the event, all of which goes directly to support the Backpack Program. The Fieldstone Foundation’s Backpack Program, a cornerstone initiative in the fight against childhood hunger, discreetly delivered 56,000 nutritious meals to over 450 school children at seven North Country schools this year, including elementary schools in Brushton-Moira, Chateauguay, Malone, Salmon River, and St. Regis Falls.
Good health depends on access to healthy food. With child poverty rates soaring to 27.1% locally, compared to the national rate of 12.4%, and a significant portion of Franklin County families living below the poverty line, the importance of our Backpack Program is undeniable. Food insecurity severely affects health and well-being, making our mission to provide consistent, nutritious meals to children in northern New York critical.
“At the end of the day, it is important that we support the community where we work and live,” said Amanda Tagliarino, Senior Director of the Fieldstone Foundation. “This essential program supports children in our own backyard. This is one of many positive steps we can take to build a thriving, connected community.”
The Fieldstone Foundation is dedicated to ensuring every child in the North Country is nourished, healthy and ready to learn. Collaborating with schools and communities, the Foundation strives to increase food security for youth, tackle the root causes of health disparities, and foster more equitable and robust communities.
The Taste of Malone fundraiser plays a pivotal role in funding the Backpack Program, covering nearly half of its costs. Corporate donations and individual contributions complement this effort. Supporters interested in sponsoring a child for the entire school year are encouraged to make a $125 donation to the Adopt-A-Child Program.
The Fieldstone Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating childhood hunger and addressing social determinants of health and well-being in New York State. Immediate relief services focus on individual hunger needs, while community services strive for lasting positive change in the North Country, fostering a sense of belonging and connection.