UTICA, N.Y. – Local food pantries and soup kitchens received part of $250,000 in donations from the Utica National Group Foundation to help fight hunger in Herkimer and Oneida counties.

Utica National partnered with The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties to distribute the funds.

“During these difficult times, helping to minimize the food insecurity in our communities and helping local restaurants weather the storm is vital,” said Bernard Turi, the senior vice president at Utica National. “We appreciate all that the nonprofit organizations do on a daily basis for everyone, and this is our way of giving back to them.”

The Johnson Park Center is one recipient of the donation, and the Rev. Dr. Maria Scates says this will help them meet a significant increase in demand.

"Just to put light on how much things have changed, in February of 2020, we served 15,174 meals. In June we served 155,628 meals. That tells the story right there, people are hurting, people are in need," she said.

Utica National also donated $75,000 in the spring to help organizations feed people struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

Below is a list of all organizations benefiting from the donation:

• Angels Among Us Food Pantry
• Bread of Life Community Center
• Camden Area Food Pantry
• Church of the Holy Family
• Country Pantry
• Dolgeville Area Food Pantry
• Feed Our Veterans
• Foothills Rural Community Ministry
• Frankfort-Ilion Food Pantry
• Helping Hands Food Pantry
•  Hope House
• Johnson Park Center
• Kuyahoora Valley Food Pantry
• Mohawk Valley Church Food Pantry
• Mother Marianne’s West Side Soup Kitchen
• Rescue Mission of Utica
• Rome Catholic Charities Emergency Assistance Food Pantry
• Rome Rescue Mission
• Salvation Army of Herkimer
• Salvation Army Utica Citadel Corps
• Seeds of Hope Food Pantry
• St. Bartholomew's Food Pantry
• St. John's Outreach Food Pantry
• St. Joseph's Church Pantry
• St. Margaret's Food Pantry
• St. Patrick's & St. Mary's Food Pantry
• The Salvation Army of Rome
• Thea Bowman House Food Pantry
• Town of Verona Food Pantry
• Utica Food Pantry
• Van Hornesville Area Food Pantry
• Waterville Food Pantry
• West Winfield Food Pantry
• Westminster Moriah Olivet Pantry