Heart, Love & Soul

09/02/2026

Huddle for Hunger is here!

A few weeks ago, Michael and Pam got to attend the Huddle for Hunger kickoff event at the new Buffalo Bills stadium! They stepped up to the field, checked out the new stadium, and joined fellow food-related nonprofits for a workshop and networking event focused on fighting hunger in WNY.

Now, Heart, Love & Soul is proud to be one of 20 participating Huddle for Hunger charities!

Here are 3 ways you can join us:

🥫 Community Food Drive & Festival
📅 Tuesday, September 22 | 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 Bronze Lot at Highmark Stadium
Bring a non-perishable food donation and enjoy Bills player appearances, Billy Buffalo, music, vendors, activities and more!

🍽️ Wegmans Meals 2GO Match
📅 September 22–26
Wegmans will match every Meals 2GO order dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000, benefiting Huddle for Hunger charities.

🎟️ Bills 50/50 Raffle
📅 September 1–27
Support Heart, Love & Soul when you purchase your 50/50 tickets! Click “Week 3 Chargers vs. Bills” after following the link below:
https://billsfoundation.org/give/billsfoundation

Let's huddle together and tackle hunger in our community!

08/24/2026

As we continue our social media series on homelessness in our region, we’re taking a closer look at an important question:

Why is homelessness increasing?

According to the New York State Comptroller, several factors are contributing to the rise in homelessness, including:
🏠 A lack of affordable housing
💰 Rising rents
⚖️ Eviction proceedings

These pressures can make it increasingly difficult for people to remain safely housed.

The Comptroller’s report also found that more than 2.9 million New York households were considered housing-cost burdened in 2022—meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on housing.

When we talk about homelessness, we’re not only talking about what happens after someone loses their home. We’re also talking about the housing pressures and challenges that can lead to homelessness in the first place.

What does this look like here at home?

One of our Outreach Case Managers, Kristen, sees these challenges firsthand. She points to limited shelter availability and a lack of mental health and substance-use resources as additional barriers people may face while working toward stability.
The Comptroller’s data help us understand the bigger picture. Our outreach team helps us understand what these challenges can look like right here in our community.

At Heart, Love & Soul, we believe that understanding these barriers is an important part of finding solutions.

Next in our series, we’ll take a closer look at how homelessness is affecting children and families.

Source: New York State Comptroller, “New Yorkers in Need: Homelessness in New York State,” January 2025. Local reporting: Niagara Gazette.

08/21/2026

We are incredibly grateful to the Wheatfield Lions Club for honoring Heart, Love & Soul at this year’s Annual Service Clubs Steak Night!

A special thank-you to Walt Garrow, Past President and current Director of the Wheatfield Lions Club, and Bobbie O’Toole, President of the Wheatfield Lions Club, for their warm welcome and for recognizing the work we do in our community.

Michael was honored to attend this year’s event, share a little about Heart, Love & Soul and our programs, and accept a $500 donation on behalf of HLS.

The Lions’ motto is “We Serve,” and their commitment to serving others is something we deeply admire. We are proud to be part of a community where organizations come together to support one another and make a difference.

And they didn’t stop there! The event also provided food for us to share with our guests today, helping us extend their kindness even further to the people we serve.

Thank you, Wheatfield Lions Club, for standing with Heart, Love & Soul and for helping us continue to provide meals, showers, food assistance, and essential services to our neighbors in need.

Thank you for serving alongside us!

08/13/2026

At Heart, Love & Soul, we see the realities of homelessness and housing instability in our community every day.

So when the Niagara Gazette recently reported on the rise in homelessness across our region, we wanted to take a closer look at what the data tell us—and what it means for our community.

According to the New York State Comptroller, homelessness increased 81% between 2022 and 2024 in the region that includes Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties.

An 81% increase in our own backyard.

That figure comes from the Comptroller's New Yorkers in Need: Homelessness in New York State report, using HUD's Point-in-Time count, which provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night in January.

But why is homelessness increasing?

That's what we want to explore. Over the coming weeks, we'll take a closer look at:

🏠 Why homelessness is increasing
👨‍👩‍👧 How children and families are affected
🛡️ Why prevention matters
💡 What solutions can make a difference

This is a conversation our community needs to have—and we're ready to be part of it. Stay tuned and check out the article linked below!

Source: New York State Comptroller, “New Yorkers in Need: Homelessness in New York State,” January 2025.

Article:

The number of homeless people in an area that includes Niagara, Orleans and Erie counties rose by 81% between 2022 and 2024, according to a report from the New York

07/31/2026

❤ 🍦❤ 🍦❤ 🍦

07/31/2026

At this year's Annual Recognition Dinner, one of our most exciting live auction items gave the winning bidder the opportunity to help create and name a brand-new custard flavor at Hibbards Original Custard.

Our dear friends of the organization, Dick and Marie Smothers, generously placed the winning bid of $10,000, making an incredible investment in Heart, Love & Soul and the neighbors we serve.

We're also grateful to The Niagara Sentinel for highlighting this wonderful partnership and the spirit of generosity that makes Western New York such a special community.

To Mr. & Mrs. Smothers and Hibbard's Original Frozen Custard—thank you for your extraordinary support, your generosity, and for helping make a lasting impact. We are so thankful to have you as part of the Heart, Love & Soul family! ❤️

07/17/2026

Community is built through generosity, and we're grateful for businesses that choose to invest in it.

A huge thank you to Connor's Landscaping Services for stepping in when we needed it most. After learning that a portion of our property across the street still needed attention, their team completed the work and then generously offered to maintain the lot for the remainder of the season at no cost.

Their support not only enhances our campus, but also allows us to devote more of our resources to serving the individuals and families who turn to Heart, Love & Soul each day.

Thank you to the entire Connor's Landscaping Services team for your generosity and commitment to our community. We are honored to have partners like you.

Learn more about Connor's Landscaping Services: https://www.connorslandscaping.com/

07/16/2026

We're in the final hours of Give716, and we're so close!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we've already unlocked $1,783 of our $2,250 matching gift. That means just $467 remains to maximize every available matching dollar!

Can you help us cross the finish line?

Every donation made before Give716 ends helps Heart, Love & Soul provide meals, essential resources, and hope to our neighbors experiencing hardship right here in Niagara Falls. And with matching funds still available, your gift can go even further.

Help us raise the final $467 and finish Give716 strong!

Thank you for believing in our mission and for standing with our neighbors when they need it most. ❤️

Link:https://give716.org/give/give716/give716/2026-give-716/charities/heart-love-and-soul-inc

07/10/2026

It may only be the beginning of summer, but we're already thinking about the first day of school.

For many families in our community, back-to-school shopping can be a significant financial burden. Through our Annual School Supply Drive, Heart, Love & Soul is helping local students start the school year with the tools they need to learn, grow, and succeed.

If you're doing a little online shopping this summer, would you consider adding an extra item for a child in need?

Shop our Amazon Wish List here:
https://a.co/05KF0Xuj

Every backpack, notebook, box of crayons, and pack of pencils makes a real difference. Thank you for helping local students start the school year with confidence!

A special thank you to our incredible YouthWorks mission teams, who return each summer to sort, organize, and pack school supplies into backpacks for local students!

06/29/2026

As we close out the month of June, we take a moment to reflect on an unforgettable evening—our 21st Annual Recognition Dinner, held on June 16 at the Russell J. Salvatore Dining Commons at Niagara University.

Guests participated in our 50/50 raffle, live auction, Fund-a-Need appeal, and a series of spirited flash sales. Yet beyond the excitement, the true highlight was the gathering itself—a room filled with individuals united by a common belief in the mission of Heart, Love & Soul and a deep commitment to the neighbors we are privileged to serve each day.

To everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, bid on auction items, purchased raffle tickets, and supported our mission in any capacity—thank you. You make it possible for us to continue providing meals, pantry services, case management, and, most importantly, hope to thousands of individuals and families throughout our community.

We also extend our sincere gratitude to our sponsors, whose extraordinary generosity helped make this year’s event possible.

• Mark Cerrone Inc.
• Joe Cecconi's Chrysler Complex
• Maid of the Mist
• Montani Family Charitable Foundation
• Pinto Construction Services, Inc.
• National Grid
• Mary Knotts
• Niagara University Vincentian Community
• Linus Ormsby
• M&T Charitable Foundation
• Montante Construction
• Morgan Stanley
• Geraldine Amendola
• National Fuel Gas Foundation
• Geri Serchia
• St. Peter's Roman Catholic Parish
• Chiampou, Travis, Besaw & Kershner
• Dick & Marie Smothers
• Anthony Eugeni
• KeyBank Foundation
• Lyn & Kevin Szanyi
• Olympic Restaurants
• Mannarino-Buffalo Construction
• Seneca Niagara Casino
• Thruway Fasteners, Inc.
• Lippes Mathias
• Stephen Kishel
• Ron Campbell
• Evergreen Florist
• Timothy O'Connell
• Angelo Morinello
• Joseph & Mary Kathryn O'Shanahan
• Brown & Co.
• Frey Electric
• JBM HR Consulting, Inc.
• Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart
• Chuck & Karen Marra
• M&M Electric
• Judi's Lounge
• Great Clips
• Whitney & Kathy Vantine
• Robert L. Bradley Jr.
• Ken & Marylynn Candella
• Lender Consulting
• Marjorie Fruscione
• Nancy McGlen & Joe Gadowski
• Mulino Aesthetics
• Pasqualine Merletti
• One Niagara Entertainment Center
• Tracy Paonessa
• Pete & Nancy Proulx
• Rev. Msgr. David LiPluma
• Rhoney Funeral Home Inc.
• Santo & Adeline Candella
• Tim Hortons – CRB Holding

We would also like to extend a special thank you to Mark Laurrie and Chelsea Lovell for co-hosting the evening and Lou Piccone for serving as our outstanding auctioneer!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with Heart, Love & Soul. We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together next year. ❤️