In the US, up to 40% of food ends up in landfills.  Currently, there are no laws in New York that force grocery stores and restaurants to give food to soup kitchens and food pantries.  Some do make donations, but there is little financial incentive to do so.  This means that as a country, we are wasting almost half of our food while one kid out of five goes to bed hungry.  What's the solution? 

Ginzy's Warehouse has been canvassing local grocery stores for 37 years to buy products before their "best used by" date.  They pay a small percentage of the cost and take care of transporting these goods back to their store where they have been selling to low income families.  Many people have asked how they will continue to feed their families without this service.  Members of local food pantries, soup kitchens and The Catholic Diocese have expressed concerns about increasing levels of need when Ginzy's Warehouse closes.

Currently, approximately 1400 people have signed a paper petition asking Buffalo to help to provide a new location for Ginzy's Warehouse when it is displaced due to redevelopment.  Ginzy's Warehouse provides two solutions.  One is environmental because food thrown in landfills has a serious environmental impact.  The other solution is social.  Low income families need access to food.

PETITION:

Ginzy’s Warehouse has been a contributing member of our South Buffalo community for 35 years and deserves more consideration and respect than to be asked to leave in February of 2017 without anywhere to go.

We request that The Buffalo Common Council either provide physical and monetary assistance to relocate Ginzy’s Warehouse so that it can afford to continue to serve its current clientele on Seneca Street, or work with the developers to allow Ginzy’s Warehouse to affordably remain in its current location.

Please sign this petition online and call and voice your concerns:

1.   Developers are renovating the old Shea’s building.  After 35 years of serving the community, Ginzy’s Warehouse has been asked to leave in February of 2017. 

2.     According to Buffalo’s own plan for urban renewal, businesses affected by these improvement projects need to be offered help to remain in their current location or be relocated to continue to serve their clientele.

3.     Don’t let Buffalo throw away a successful business and all the people who rely on Ginzy’s Warehouse.

City Councilman Christopher Scanlon:  716-851-5169              

Buffalo Common Council:  716-851-5144

Representative Michael Kearns:  716-608-6099                         

Congressman Brian Higgins:  716-852-3501

Senator Tim Kennedy:  716-826-2683                                           

Mayor Byron Brown:  716-851-4841

Channel 2:  716-849-2220               

Channel 4:  716-879-4900         

Channel 7:  716-845-6100

If you would like to look at the original renewal plans for Seneca Street, you can find them here at the following link, including reference on page 9 to relocating existing businesses:

http://www.buffalogreencode.com/URP/1980SenecaCazenoviaCommercialDistrictURP2020.pdf