Fidelis Care and Chenango County Catholic Charities Stock the Pantry

NORWICH, NY (08/18/2011)(readMedia)-- Fidelis Care, in partnership with Chenango County Catholic Charities' "Roots and Wings" Emergency Services and Basic Needs program, will collect food donations to restock "Roots and Wings'" rapidly depleting food pantry. Donations will be accepted on Tuesday, August 23 from 10:00am until 2:00pm in the parking lot of the Norwich Wal-Mart, located at 5396 State Highway 12.

During these difficult economic times, an increasing number of families are unable to meet their basic nutritional needs. Last year, the "Roots and Wings" food pantry served nearly 15,000 people. Items needed by the pantry include tuna, peanut butter, cereal, beans, and juices. Food items high in protein are in particular demand.

"Roots and Wings" is also a sponsor of the Food Bank of Central New York's "Food $en$e" food cooperative that helps families stretch their grocery dollar. Food $en$e packages are available at a cost of $15.50, cash or EBT cards accepted, and contain 10-12 food items including fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and staple items. In addition, the Food $en$e monthly newsletter contains recipes to help in preparing healthy and delicious meals utilizing the food items included in that month's package. Participation in Food $en$e is open to all families in the community, and is not income dependent.

The "Roots and Wings" food pantry's hours of operation are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00am until 3:00pm, with extended hours of operation on Thursdays, from 10:00am until 6:30pm. The pantry is located at 34-36 Berry Street in Norwich, and their phone number is (607) 336-7897.

Fidelis Care offers free or low-cost health insurance through New York State's Child Health Plus, Family Health Plus, and Medicaid Managed Care programs. Members are covered for regular checkups, preventive care, routine screenings, hospital and emergency care, eye exams, dental care, and more.

Fidelis Care also offers a variety of benefit options for seniors through Fidelis Medicare Advantage, Dual Advantage, Medicaid Advantage Plus, and Fidelis Care at Home programs, available in select counties.

With more than 720,000 members in 58 counties statewide, Fidelis Care was founded on the belief that all New Yorkers should have access to affordable, quality health insurance. Members have access to a provider network of more than 43,000 health care professionals statewide. Regional offices are located in Albany, Syracuse, Amherst, and Rego Park (Queens), with satellite offices in Rochester, Poughkeepsie, and Suffern.

For more information, call Fidelis Care toll-free at 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org.

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