ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Foodlink is once again partnering with Wegmans to call on shoppers to help address food insecurity across the region ahead of Thanksgiving and the holiday season.

The 33rd annual “Check Out Hunger” campaign kicks off Wednesday. Shoppers at all 21 Rochester-area Wegmans stores can donate a few dollars or round up their bill anytime they check out. The money supports Foodlink, which stores and distributes millions of pounds of food to its partners across the 12-county region. Those partners include food pantries, community meal programs, and shelters.

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The campaign comes as visits to local food pantries have been rising for months, since February. Foodlink learned in August that its pantry partners have had the most visits on record.

“We all know that gas is really high right now. Groceries and costs are high. So families are really struggling. And we work with over 400 food pantries across the region that are giving us this data,” said Beth Herschel, Foodlink’s chief development officer.

News10NBC’s Kristi Blake was live at the Wegmans on Empire Boulevard in Webster on Wednesday morning to learn more about the campaign, which runs through Nov. 28. You can also donate to Foodlink online here.

Impact of the campaign

Herschel says that Foodlink can turn every dollar that people donate into three meals. Last year’s campaign collected more than $800,000, the highest number in its history and $115,000 more than last year’s total. Those donations helped to prepare around two and a half million meals across the region.

“It’s such a great story of when everyone comes together in a community: the customers, the cashiers, the managers, everyone who is making just a small contribution. It truly adds up,” she said.

According to Herschel, Foodlink is able to reach pantries across so many counties because of its 135 staff members, including drivers who cover a combined 7,000 miles a day.

Last year’s Check Out Hunger campaign took place amid the federal government shutdown, which created uncertainty over federal food assistance benefits under SNAP, especially as the shutdown continued into November. Many local food pantry leaders who News10NBC spoke with said they were worried about being overwhelmed by the SNAP funding uncertainty.

Changes to SNAP

More than 135,000 people in the six-county Rochester region rely on SNAP, including one in seven people in Monroe County. This year, SNAP has undergone several changes, including a new work requirement, because of federal policy changes.

Able-bodied adults without dependents are now required to work or volunteer to receive SNAP benefits because of changes in federal policy. However, some people are exempt. During an annual Foodlink conference in March, leaders of local meal programs came together to discuss how the new rule could impact pantries.

In addition, starting this month, the federal government is contributing a smaller percentage to SNAP, leaving state and local governments responsible for a greater share. Under the rule change, Monroe County is estimated to spend an additional $3 million per year to keep SNAP fully funded.

In-depth on local food insecurity

Over 12% of people in the 10-county region around Rochester faced food insecurity in 2024, according to the latest Map the Meal Gap report posted on Foodlink’s website. That amounts to over 155,000 people, including over 42,000 children.

The City of Rochester is home to four zip codes with food-insecurity rates more than double the region’s average. The 14605 zip code had the highest at nearly 37%. Although the latest report shows a slight drop in food insecurity from 2023 to 2024, data collected by Foodlink showed a sharp rise in people seeking food assistance during the same time period.

The city recently created a new map aiming to help Foodlink and other community groups with identifying neighborhoods’ needs when it comes to food insecurity and lack of affordable food options. You can see our coverage of that program here.

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