Evans delivers check to Cornwall warehouse
The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley has not been forgotten during the dark days of the pandemic.
Children have donated their birthday or tooth fairy money. And a group of inmates at the Fishkill Correctional Center pooled their resources and sent in $1,000.
On July 10, the warehouse in Cornwall-on-Hudson received a $5,000 check from John Evans of The Air Guys, a Cornwall business. He offered a brief explanation for his generosity. “As an industrial hygiene firm,” he said, “we thrived during the lockdown while other companies were struggling. We wanted to give back to the community at a time when others couldn’t do it. And the Food Bank had a greater need than ever.”
And that’s the truth. The Food Bank, which services six counties in the Mid-Hudson, has seen a 50 percent increase in demand. And that’s for an organization that normally distributes the equivalent of 14 million meals in a year.
Paul Stermer, the Food Bank director, is grateful for an uptick in monetary donations. But he says that food donations have been slower than in the past.
Retailers have been left with empty shelves, and wholesalers haven’t been able to match their past donations.
But it’s been a busy time for The Air Guys. The company provides residential HVAC repairs and maintenance. And it also does duct cleanings, repairs and replacement. During the lockdown, The Air Guys have worked with partners like Belfor and Servpro to oversee the cleaning of more than 10 million square feet of commercial and residential space. Throughout the crisis, Mr. Evans set aside a portion of his proceeds to benefit local charities. His June promotion enabled him to help the Food Bank.
On July 10, Mr. Evans arrived at the Hudson Street facility just before lunch time. He compared the pandemic to a “worldwide 9/11” and said it “was like a nationwide hurricane that hasn’t stopped spinning for four months.” He was glad he could do something to help.
