A Palmyra non-profit has been recognized for significantly contributing to the health of Ontario County residents in 2023. The Bishops’ Storehouse is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and was presented with the 14th annual Choose Health Ontario Award during the County Safety Awards held last week at the Clifton Springs Country Club.
In the summer and fall of 2023 in the wake of the pandemic, many Ontario County families continued to struggle with their grocery bills. Likewise, food pantries were having difficulty keeping their shelves stocked. In response, the Bishop’s Storehouse offered a food grant and provided 5,000 pounds of canned goods, pantry staples, and frozen meat to the Ontario County community. Ontario County Public Health and the Partnership for Ontario County worked with the Storehouse to develop and activate a distribution plan. The food grant provided meals for 850 individuals living in 305 households. This included 219 seniors, 380 adults, and 251 children.
Kate Ott, Public Health Director, expressed her gratitude at the banquet and noted that “The county is fortunate to have an active faith community eager to partner in meeting the needs of our community.”
The Choose Health Ontario award was presented by Kate Ott, Public Health Director, and Todd Campbell, Chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors on behalf of the Ontario County Health Collaborative, a coalition of local public health officials, healthcare systems, and health-minded community partners working together to address disparities and improve the health of Ontario County residents.
