ONEIDA CASTLE, N.Y. — A new community-driven initiative, ResQ2Feed Oneida County, officially launches in September with the mission to reduce food waste and redirect surplus food to residents facing food insecurity.
ResQ2Feed Oneida County connects food donors such as restaurants, grocers and farms with local nonprofits, pantries, and meal programs that serve those in need.
The Oneida Castle Food Rescue Hub will be led by Sam Lamanna, pastor of New Hope Christian Community Church. As the hub’s ambassador, Lamanna plays a key leadership role in organizing food rescues, engaging local partners, and shaping the service area’s impact on hunger relief.
“The Food Rescue program is about more than just saving food—it’s about building relationships between neighbors, strengthening community resilience, and making sure no one goes hungry while good food is wasted,” Lamanna said.
Currently, ResQ2Feed Oneida County is actively seeking donors, volunteers and non-profit partners to help grow its presence in Oneida Castle Rescue Service Hub, which includes the cities of Oneida, Sherrill and surrounding towns.
Organizers have divided Oneida County into six regional service hubs to ensure equitable and efficient service delivery.
– Utica Food Rescue Hub.
– Rome Food Rescue Hub.
– Kirkland Food Rescue Hub.
– Northern Rural Food Rescue Hub.
– Western Rural Food Rescue Hub.
– Oneida Castle Food Rescue Hub.
Each hub is designed to coordinate food rescues, recruit volunteers, and cultivate local partnerships that serve the needs of that region.
“Our goal is to make food rescue easy, accessible, and impactful. The Oneida Castle Food Rescue Hub is part of a countywide network that will strengthen the safety net for families while supporting businesses who want to give back,” ResQ2Feed Oneida County Founder & Business Development Consultant Armand Mastraccio said.
Volunteers using a mobile phone app are notified of available food rescues and deliver it to organizations that distribute it within the community. Food rescues usually are perishable goods which are unsold but still safe and nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste.
For more information on becoming a donor, volunteer, or partner with the Oneida Castle Food Rescue Hub, visit www.resq2feed.org or contact ResQ2Feed at 315-580-5328.
According to Mastraccio,
– 13.1% of Oneida County residents experience food insecurity.
– one-in-five children in our area don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
– food pantries and meal sites are struggling to keep up with demand.
ResQ2Feed rescues surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to nonprofit partners serving individuals and families in need. By connecting donors, volunteers, and recipients, ResQ2Feed builds stronger, healthier and more resilient communities.
ResQ2Feed Oneida County is part of the Food Rescue Hero Network, a national movement of technology-powered food recovery organizations. The network has completed over 100,000 rescues this year alone, saving more than 32 million pounds of food that was distributed to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
As the first program in New York State to use the Food Rescue Hero app, ResQ2Feed empowers volunteers to become “Food Rescue Heroes” by connecting them with quick and easy opportunities to pick up and deliver food that would otherwise be wasted.
