By The Epoch Times | Created at 2026-09-21 17:51:59 | Updated at 2026-09-21 18:29:08
46 minutes ago
MONTGOMERY, N.Y.—The Regional Food Bank held a 24-hour volunteer event designed to keep the lights and food moving at the Hudson Valley distribution center from 8 a.m. on Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday.
The food bank also recently recruited Bill Fioravanti as the regional vice president for the Hudson Valley. He’ll be leading fundraising, partnerships, and community relations for the organization in the region.
Fioravanti has two decades of business leadership foundation in the Hudson Valley, and is leaving his position as the CEO of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency for the food bank.
The Regional Food Bank is a not-for-profit that operates in 23 of New York’s 62 counties, serving over 355,000 meals each month. It covers most of the Eastern side of the state, stretching from the low Hudson region in Rockland County to the Canadian border.
The organization’s 2025 net operating revenue was nearly $112.9 million, with the majority, $65.8 million worth, coming from donated food and a total of $16.6 million coming from the government.
Volunteer-a-Thon
People bustled like bees in the sorting room, sorting frozen food into boxes and pallets. The high warehouse echoed with hurried feet and bright chatter.
The Regional Food Bank held the 24-hour volunteer event in the spirit of Hunger Action Month, which takes place every September. Its purpose is to raise awareness about hunger and inspire action.
Volunteers could sign up for 2-hour shifts between 8 a.m. on Sept. 18 and 8 a.m. the next day. This first-time event had 400 people sign up for 2-hour shifts at three Regional Food Bank locations. The volunteers are given some training and instruction before moving the food. Volunteers took home a Regional Food Bank hat, shirt, or bottle.
Veronica Ingram-Henry, vice president of programs and strategic initiatives, helped oversee the 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. shift at the Hudson Valley Distribution Center, in Montgomery. Her shift saw over 20 people coming in to help, with many from the Hudson Valley branch of Keller Williams Realty and the Montgomery based Walden Savings Bank.
Ingram-Henry told The Epoch Times that volunteer shifts are always available at the warehouse, and the 24-hour event is specifically to attract more people to food bank volunteering. She said that the Volunteer-A-Thon was a success, with even the midnight shift getting more than 12 people, and that it will be held again.
Keller Williams Hudson Valley Upstate Network founder and operating principal Rosemarie Pellati at the 24-Hour Volunteer-a-Thon at the Hudson Valley Distribution Center in Montgomery, N.Y., on Sept. 18, 2026. Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times
Rosemarie Pellati is the founder and operating principal of Keller Williams Hudson Valley Upstate Network, a real estate brokerage. She told The Epoch Times that they allow their employees to volunteer for organizations such as the food bank because helping people in the community is one of their core missions.
“The food bank is one of the great volunteer opportunities for us because it really serves such a large amount of the communities in the Hudson Valley and upstate,” she said.
Pellati said that she’s grateful for the opportunity the food bank provides for herself, not just the employees. “I’ve been very blessed in life, and so I’m always looking for opportunities to give back.”
Kim Judd, a Walden Savings Bank employee, said it was her second time volunteering at the food bank. “I like the positivity. I like to see people come together for the community, and I like to see things that would normally get wasted be put to good use,” she said.
The Walden Bank gives 8 hours of volunteer paid time off, Judd said. She saw that they were doing this first-time event, and decided it would be a great way to help out, and one that she would also enjoy.
“It’s high energy. It’s a great turnout, so things move really fast. It’s chaotic but organized chaos, and it feels incredible to see the amount of food that we’re packing and sending out to people in need.”
Kim Judd at the 24-Hour Volunteer-a-Thon at the Hudson Valley Distribution Center in Montgomery, N.Y., on Sept. 18, 2026. Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times
New Vice President
The Regional Food Bank announced on Sept. 11 that Bill Fioravanti was hired as the executive vice president of the Hudson Valley and of food industry partnerships and business development, effectively serving as the organization’s Hudson Valley leader.
Fioravanti is a City of Newburgh resident, and since 2021 has served as the County Industrial Development Agency CEO, which he will be stepping away from. He’s served leadership roles in both government and private business development organizations for the region.
Fioravanti told The Epoch Times on Sept. 17 that he will be continuing with the development agency until Oct. 9. “I wasn’t really looking to leave. This is an opportunity that came about just the right time. I loved my time at the IDA despite any challenges and perceptions in the media and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished,” he said.
He said his role will be as the point person for the six Hudson Valley counties the food bank operates in, where he said 45 percent of their food is distributed. Part of that is expanding the food bank’s influence and bringing in more partners in the space.
“There are thousands of potential food industry partners for the food bank in this region, and we only work with a couple hundred, so I think there is potential to work with farms and companies in the food and beverage sector, many of whom I have strong relationships with.”
The Industrial Development Agency (IDA) was faced with increasing oversight and pushback from state and local governments in the past couple years, including the creation of a state monitor for the agency, the vetoing of a tax-break for a potential Amazon warehouse, and lawsuits.
Fioravanti said he didn’t leave out of frustration, and that the situation was improving at the development agency. “We’ve had some really constructive dialogue over the last five or six months about potential policy enhancements for the IDA that would be best for everyone.”
