ALBION N.Y. — Twenty-five students and local farmers assisted in the distributing and donating of 35,000 pounds of fresh produce to eight food pantries in Albion Saturday morning.

“This means everything to us and to our families that we serve,” says Annette Finch, the director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee. “So, this provides their potatoes, the onions, the cabbage, apples and eggs.”

Finch says with the Christmas and New Year’s holiday around the corner, the food donated is expected to last.

“It will go into our food pantry and we will make sure that all food pantries, if they don’t get enough today—could give me a call, to get more food as needed. “

All pantries prepared a list of those much needed items.

“We do have hunger insecurity here,” added Adam Krenning, who is a teacher with Albion High School Agricultures & FAA Programs. He says the food drive has been running since 2010, starting out with only 3,000 pounds.

“Over the years, it’s more and more of the famers, they are just so generous they are donating the food,” said Krenning.

With Albion High School students assisting in the donations, Krenning says it’s the lesson of giving back to the community he hopes follows them into their futures.

“Once they’re out of high school and whatever community they end up in, they are going to be able to give the community--see the need in the community, find a way to help with that need and give back to their local area.”

The food left over is split up between churches and Community Action families in the Orleans and Genesee Counties.