The Little Free Pantry: North Tonawanda

04/15/2025

Free Lunches for Kids During Spring Break! 🍱💙
Spring Break just got a whole lot brighter! 🌞
Lumber City Church, in partnership with The Rec at the Hope Center, is giving out FREE Box of Hope lunches for kids during Easter break—right here in our own building!
Whether your child is in Kindergarten or high school, we’ve got them covered.
📍 Where?
📍 The Hope Center — 383 Vandervoort St. (Inside the Rec lobby)
🗓️ When?
🗓️ April 15–17 and April 22–24 (Tues–Thurs both weeks)
⏰ Times:
🍎 K–6th Grade: Pick up your lunch between 12:30–1:30 PM
🥪 7th–12th Grade: Grab yours between 3:00–4:00 PM
🎁 No strings attached. Just a practical way to show our love for this amazing community and help feed kids during the break. Come on by—we’d love to bless your family!
Limited lunches available. First Come, First Served. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

10/28/2024

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
October 28, 2024

**NT Native and MLB Umpire Ted Barrett Partners with New York Yankees to Donate Signed MVP Baseball, Supporting Local Church's New Charity Initiative**

*North Tonawanda, NY* – Lumber City Church is excited to announce a special fundraising event featuring guest speaker Ted Barrett, a retired Major League Baseball umpire and North Tonawanda native. The event, which will include a dinner, inspiring conversation and a Q&A session with Barrett, is scheduled for **November 8, 2024**, at Wurlitzer Events. Proceeds will support a new charity called NeighborHOPE Collective. Their mission is to empower underserved families in North Tonawanda through various outreach programs.

Every guest will have an opportunity to enter to win a New York Yankee Giancarlo Stanton signed baseball, donated by the New York Yankees organization. Stanton was named MVP in the Yankees recent ALCS series. The Yankees are playing The LA Dodgers in The World Series this year.

Ted Barrett, known for his distinguished career as an MLB umpire, will share stories from his time on the field and his personal journey of faith, service, and community involvement. Chad Rieselman, who is the founder and director of NeighborHOPE Collective, as well as the Pastor at Lumber City Church, is enthusiastic about having Barrett's support for this impactful event.

“This event is a great opportunity for our community to come together, celebrate a local hero, and hear about our vision to accelerate and expand the outreach we've successfully done through Lumber City Church by launching NeighborHOPE” said Rieselman. “Ted believes in our mission to foster hope and provide practical support to families in need. We’re looking forward to an inspiring evening.”

Barrett added: "Growing up in North Tonawanda taught me the value of good neighbors, and it’s an honor to give back through this event. Partnering with the Yankees and NeighborHOPE Collective allows me to support something bigger than baseball—helping families and giving hope. I'm excited to be a part of this meaningful initiative and to see the impact it will have in the lives of families in NT."

**Event Details**:
**Date**: November 8, 2024
**Time**: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
**Location**: Wurlitzer Event Center
**Tickets**: $85 per person includes dinner, entertainment and more. Corporate sponsorship of tables is also available.
**Goal**: To raise $20,000 to fund NeighborHOPE Collective’s outreach initiatives, including expanding Box Of Hope, Little Free Pantries and launching homeownership and vehicle ownership programs for underserved families in NT.

In addition to the dinner, the evening will include networking, entertainment and a special media presentation. A question and answer session with Barrett will provide attendees with the unique chance to hear his thoughts on his career and the importance of giving back to the community.

NeighborHOPE Collective is a newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources, support, and hope to underserved families in North Tonawanda and surrounding areas. All proceeds from the event will go toward scaling NeighborHOPE’s outreach efforts, including launching new programs to address food and clothing insecurity as well as homeownership and vehicle ownership programs.

**About Ted Barrett**
Ted Barrett is a highly respected former Major League Baseball umpire who officiated in the league for over two decades. Known for his integrity and leadership on and off the field, Barrett's involvement in charity work and his commitment to faith and community has made him a beloved figure beyond the sport.

**For tickets and more information**, please visit www.neighbor-hope.com or contact 716-218-9086 or [email protected].

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**Media Contact:**
Chad Rieselman
Founder & Director, NeighborHOPE Collective
716-218-9086
[email protected]

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More information can be found at:
www.LumberCityChurch.com
www.Neighbor-Hope.com

10/20/2024

We had no idea when the Yankees organization sent Mr. Barrett a signed Giancarlo Stanton baseball that he would be the ALCS MVP! Every ticket purchased for our November 8 event featuring Ted Barrett, former major league baseball umpire has a chance to win a Giancarlo Stanton signed baseball! Get your tickets today! Stop by and see Gail Galassi at Galassi's Sub Shop to purchase a ticket or buy online right here.  https://subsplash.com/lumbercitychurch/lb/ev/+7k5787q

09/10/2024

We’ve been working for years to get to this point. I’m so pleased to start telling people about a new charitable organization that will get Lumber City Church’s outreach projects FAR BEYOND the 4 walls - The NeighborHope Collective is established!! Stay tuned for more information and details as Box of Hope, Lumber City Outfitters ACCELERATE like never before! HANGBON TIGHT! … and build out of Vehicle and Homeownership Projects for underserved families in North Tonawanda! PLEASE reach out if you’d like to hear more about how it all works and how YOU can get involved!

Empower communities and transform lives through your generous donation to The NeighborHope Collective. Join us in creating a brighter future for all.

04/15/2024

GET YOUR GEAR HERE! The North Tonawanda Football program gets the benefits of this online fundraiser. Help the Jacks GROW!

04/10/2024

North Tonawanda UPK Program At The Hope Center Development Update:

I'm dedicating a significant portion of my time to doing all of the research we need to do to develop a UPK program at The Hope Center. I've got 2 key meetings next week to help us to determine our programming.

Next steps will be:

* MARKET RESEARCH - That is where YOU (interested parents and guardians of rising Pre-K kids) We'll need to get some information from you. It'll be mainly surveys, but there will probably be some interviews too.

* BUILD A TEAM - We'll need educators that (quite frankly) will need to take a BIG step of faith with us.

* FUNDRAISING - We'll need to raise our budget through a donor base, grants and any philanthropic support we can find.

I've been trying to track interested parties. PLEASE INBOX ME if you may a family that can benefit from the service OR if you believe God may be calling you to TAKE THE STEP OF FAITH to be part of the team.

12/21/2023

Box Of Hope Holiday Box 2024 Stats... ALL DELIVERED IN UNDER 2 HOURS BY DOZENS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS! I live in the best city in the world...

12/28/2022

❗️📣HELP NEEDED📣❗️
We received a message from Greater Niagara Federal Credit Union and they need our help!
"The storm did some damage to our pantry outside of greater Niagara FCU at 160 Ward Rd, I was wondering if there is anyone who would be able to potentially repair/replace it?"

Who is able to help in this situation? Please message them or us!

08/08/2022

Here is the most up-to-date list of all the Little Free Pantry locations in North Tonawanda (as of August 2022)! Please note the newest location at St. Paul's UCC. View the map with all the locations here:
https://www.google.com/maps/placelists/list/HhVRvEglc0-fb8l6Xoe-_yItQDr9lA
1. DeGraff Medical Park: 445 Tremont Street, N.T., NY 14120
2. Drake Elementary North Tonawanda City Schools: 380 Drake Drive, N.T., NY 14120
3. Greater Niagara Federal Credit Union: 160 Ward Road, N.T., NY 14120
4. iHope Community Church: 316 Thompson Street, N.T., NY 14120
5. Imagine Community Gardens NT: 225 Sommer Street, N.T., NY 14120
6. Lumber City Church: 383 Vandervoort Street, N.T., NY 14120
7. Matt's Music Inc.: 937 Oliver Street, N.T., NY 14120
8. One Church NY: 958 Nash Road, N.T., NY 14120
9. Niagara Regional Federal Credit Union: 1285 Erie Avenue, N.T., NY 14120
10. North Tonawanda Senior Citizen's Center: 110 Goundry Street, N.T., NY 14120
11. NT Able Agency Inc.: 1551 Erie Avenue, N.T., NY 14120
12. Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish: 57 Center Avenue, N.T., NY 14120
13. Redeemer Lutheran Church: 265 Falconer St., N.T., NY 14120
14. St. Mark Lutheran Church & Preschool St. Mark Lutheran Church & Preschool: 1135 Oliver St., N.T., NY 14120
15. St. Paul's United Church of Christ - Shawnee: 3921 Mapleton Road, North Tonawanda, NY 14120

05/26/2022

Another opportunity to help our neighbors!

This Saturday at 10AM at The Imagine Community Garden, 220 Sommer St. We need help transporting new soil to our beds. This is a perfect way for NTHS Students to gain Service Learning hours!

05/25/2022

There’s so many ways to be a good neighbor! This is just one more.

We’ve been contacted by the NT Senior Center reaching out for help for a couple that is experiencing some real health challenges that keep them from being able to mow their lawn. It’s been a while and they’ve been let down.

Can you help? This definitely qualifies for NTHS Student Learning Hours.