Hot Dog Sale at Jamestown BPU to benefit St. Susan Center (left to right: Mike Brown, Hyla Brinkley and Charlie Brown)

Jamestown Board of Public Utilities employees will be selling hot dogs today to raise money for St. Susan Center.

Volunteers will be selling hot dogs, chips, soda, and water as part of the BPU’s Cents for St. Susan’s campaign. The fundraiser is taking place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. today at BPU Customer Service located on 92 Steele Street.

Folks are invited to donate redeemable cans and bottles at the hot dog sale to benefit the soup kitchen as well.

“Cents for St. Susan’s” Campaign Kick Off Held (May 2, 2023)

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities 24th annual “₵ents for St. Susan’s” campaign is now underway.

The campaign supports operating costs at the soup kitchen located at 31 Water Street.

St. Susan Center executive director Cherie Rowland said, “Only a few short months ago, we were averaging 120 meals served per day. Today we are averaging 180 meals served each day.”

BPU General Manager Dave Leathers said that the BPU “₵ents for St. Susan’s” drives have raised $307,611.54 over the past 23 years.

In addition to generous sponsors, the campaign is assisted by community members who drop coins, cash and checks into bright yellow “₵ents for St. Susan’s” coin canisters placed around the area to collect money to help the soup kitchen feed hungry people.

Residents also may donate redeemable cans and bottles at the BPU Customer Service Office, at Don’s Car Wash and at the Southside Redemption Center for St. Susan Center.

Gifts may be mailed to “₵ents for St. Susan’s,” c/o Jamestown BPU, P.O. Box 700, Jamestown, NY 14702-0700.

BPU customers who pay their bills online also may contribute online at www.jamestownbpu.com.

A hot dog sale for the cause will take place outside the BPU Customer Service Office from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 2.

All gifts to the drive go directly to St. Susan Center.

For more information, contact Becky Robbins at (716) 661-1680 or brobbins@jamestownbpu.com.

Jamestown BPU, St. Susan Center, and Sponsors gather on the Jamestown Riverwalk to celebrate ‘Cents for St. Susan’s’ Campaign Results

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities announced the 23rd Annual “Cents For St. Susan’s” campaign has raised $26,693.

BPU Communications Coordinator Becky Robbins said around 50 canisters were put out at local businesses as part of the donation drive, “Those brought in about $2,000, which was very, very generous. And we did urge people to collect bottles and cans, redeemable containers. We didn’t do as much in that this year, but still raised $200 for that.”

She added a hot dog sale at the BPU also raised over $700. Robbins said campaign sponsors, which included individuals and local businesses, raised the rest of the funds.

St. Susan Center Executive Director Cherie Rowland said the funding will go toward feeding over 30,000 people this year, “It will be used for operating expenses as well as buying food. And as everybody knows, right now expenses are higher than they were at this time a year or so ago. So it’s a lot. It really does help.”

Rowland added that St. Susan Center not only feeds those who need it but also provides community, “That’s almost just as important as having a nourishing meal, is having human contact. Because humans cannot do life alone. We have to have participation with the community, I mean, just as individuals.”

Rowland said St. Susan Center also offered this summer a storytime for kids and adult learning programs.

Hot Dog Sale at Jamestown BPU to benefit St. Susan Center

A hot dog sale to benefit the ‘Cents for St. Susan’s‘ fund drive will take place today at the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities.

BPU Volunteers will sell hot dogs, chips and soda from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. outside the BPU’s Customer Service Office located at 92 Steele Street in Jamestown.

The utility raises money for St. Susan Center at this time each year to help provide meals in spring and summer.

The public also may bring empty redeemable cans and bottles to the sale to provide more “cents” for the soup kitchen.

During the fund drive through mid-July, redeemable cans and bottles also may be taken to BPU Customer Service. Cans and bottles also can be donated at Don’s Car Wash and the Southside Redemption Center.

Sponsors and St. Susan Center Board members gather to kick off the Cents for St. Susan’s Campaign (May 11, 2022)

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities, sponsors, and St. Susan Center board members kicked off the 23rd Annual ‘Cents for St. Susan’s‘ campaign Wednesday.

The campaign features bright yellow coin canisters placed around the community to collect donations to assist the soup kitchen with feeding people in the Jamestown area. Since 2000, the campaign has raised $280,771.

St. Susan Center Executive Director Cherie Rowland said inflation has caused food prices to go up and up, “The supply chain is kind of disrupted, so we’re seeing it here at St. Susan’s. We’re seeing less food coming in from our donations from our supporters. Some of the major chains who give us food, they’re having shortages. So it’s more important now than even during the Pandemic.”

In addition to the coin canisters, donations may be mailed to ‘Cents for St. Susan’s, Jamestown BPU, PO Box 700, Jamestown, NY 14702-0700.

Redeemable bottles and cans may be donated at the BPU Customer Service Office, Don’s Car Wash, and the Southside Redemption Center. Also, a hot dog sale will take place outside the BPU Customer Service Office on June 3 to benefit the campaign.

St. Susan Center Executive Director Bonny Scott-Sleight said she was grateful to the donors and BPU for providing this record amount of funds raised saying, “In the Pandemic, we moved nimbly to organize alternate ways to serve guests. This sizeable amount of money already has assisted us in serving meals to those who need it.”

Yellow “Cents for St. Susan’s” coin canisters have been placed around the area for individuals to drop in donations to help the local soup kitchen.

St. Susan Center provides daily meals to guests on the basis of one meal per person per day. Due to COVID Pandemic restrictions last year, the organization began distributing carry-out meals as dining room seating was not permitted.

Despite the Pandemic, St. Susan Center staff served a record number of 121-thousand meals in 2020. This figure compares to 118-thousand-370 meals provided in 2019 and 111-thousand-851 meals served in 2018.

The BPU Cents for St. Susan’s drive has raised $253-thousand-335-dollars since 2000.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) kicked off its 15th annual “Cents for St. Susan’” campaign on Wednesday with major sponsors meeting to distribute coin canisters and to learn about the needs of St. Susan Center.

Once again this year, the bright yellow canisters will appear on counters at local stores, offices and restaurants to collect coins to benefit St. Susan Center. Money raised through the BPU campaign will be used to purchase food for people in our area who need nutritious meals in spring and summer when children are out of school and when families can more easily access the soup kitchen.

The BPU has raised $142,780 over the years of operating the fund drive.

Last year, the number of meals served at St. Susan Center reached 116,832, up 7.94% over 2013. In this past January, 2015, alone, 8,647 meals were served, up 1.95% from January, 2014. Most recently, St. Susan Center served its 2 millionth meal in 31 years.

“Cents for St. Susan’s” coin canisters will appear in the community through the first week of July. From April through June, people may also donate redeemable cans and bottles at the BPU’s Customer Service Office, 92 Steele Street, in the City.

Local sponsors have contributed $500-1000 each to the cause to bring the campaign pledge total to $10,000 to date. These generous donors include: KeyBank and DFT Communications at the $1000 level. Sponsors at the $500 mark include: Alfie’s Restaurant, Asplundh, Burgett and Robbins Attorneys, Century 21/Turner Brokers, Falconer Printing & Design, Inc., Chautauqua Metal Finishing Supply, Freed Maxick CPAs, The Legend Group with Lou Deppas, National Fuel, Northwest Savings Bank, Slone Melhuish Insurance, TJ’s Plumbing & Heating, Valu Hearing Services, Weinberg Financial Group and Wright, Wright & Hampton Attorneys. Boyles Motor Sales is a sponsor for May.

The Media One Group of radio stations and the Jamestown Post-Journal serve as media sponsors, providing space and time on their media outlets to benefit the drive. Farm Fresh Foods is contributing a hot dog sale to be held at the BPU Customer Service Office area in June.

An important segment of the fund drive is the BPU customers themselves who contribute by mail or who bring funds to BPU Customer Service at 92 Steele Street. Checks may be written to St. Susan Center and left at Customer Service or mailed to:

The BPU
c/o Becky Robbins, Communications Coordinator
P.O. Box 700
Jamestown, NY 14702-0700.

Customers may add an extra gift amount to their bill payments and note it on the pay stub when mailing in the gift.

“The BPU is proud and pleased to organize our 15th fund drive to benefit St. Susan Center and its customers,” said Mrs. Robbins. “The BPU cannot give away money to help local organizations, but we can give our time to raise money to help people in our community who are hungry. St. Susan Center and its volunteers provide a vital service in an atmosphere of acceptance and caring.”

St. Susan Center Executive Director Jeffrey Smith thanked the BPU for raising donations for the soup kitchen.

“The BPU is not only a source of energy to our community but they also help to bring light to the hunger problem that affects many in our community,” said Smith. “Through their caring and compassionate efforts, they have reached out to dozens of local businesses who have graciously agreed to have donation jars in their establishments.”

“Every dollar raised allows St. Susan Center to purchase $7 worth of food from the Food Bank of WNY,” continued Smith. “If you see a donation canister, please consider putting in your change for this community campaign.”

Canisters have been placed in the following locations throughout the community:

• AJ’s Texas Hots
• Affordable Chiropractic
• Alfie’s Restaurant
• Anderson Cleaners
• Arby’s
• Belleview East
• Best Western Hotel
• Brazil
• Brigiotta’s
• Cherry Lounge
• the Clip Joint
• Coffee Cup
• Comfort Inn
• Creative Imports
• DFT Office
• Dunkin Donuts
• Ecklofts
• Evans Discount Liquors
• Falconer Printing
• Farm Fresh Foods
• Fischers
• Goodtime Saloon
• Groomingdale’s
• Hampton Inn
• Holly Loft
• Hometown Grill
• Honest John’s
• Jamestown BPU Customer Service
• Jamestown Savings Bank and Northwest Savings Bank locations
• JB Liquors
• Jeremy’s Belleview
• Johnny’s Lunch
• Jones Bakery/Vahalla
• KeyBank locations
• Lakewood Apothecary
• Laury Optical
• Lisciandro’s
• Mirage
• Mojos
• Pal Joey’s
• Peterson Farms
• Press Room
• the Pub
• Raynor’s Liquors
• Richard’s Hair Design
• Robo Wash
• Salon One
• Save A Lot
• Shawbucks
• Schuylers
• Superior Energy Innovations
• Trinity Guitars
• Turner Brokers/Century 21
• US News
• The Wine Cellar.

Businesses which would host a canister are asked to contact Mrs. Robbins at 661-1680.

People who have questions or who have ideas of other ways to help the BPU “Cents for St. Susan’s” campaign may contact Mrs. Robbins at 661-1680 or by e-mail: brobbins@jamestownbpu.com. Smith may be reached at St. Susan Center at 664-2253.

Representatives from the BPU, St. Susan’s and local businesses recently joined together to announce the start of the Cents for St. Susan fundraiser.

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities (BPU) kicked off its 15th annual “Cents for St. Susan” campaign on Wednesday, April 30, with major sponsors getting together to distribute coin canisters throughout the Greater Jamestown area.

Once again this year, the bright yellow canisters will appear on counters at local stores, offices and restaurants to collect coins to benefit St. Susan Center. Money raised through the BPU campaign will be used to purchase food for people in our area who need nutritious meals in spring and summer. St. Susan Center is able to convert each dollar contributed into seven dollars worth of food purchased through the Western New York Food Bank.

The BPU has raised $139,632 in the 15 years of operating the fund drive.

In 2013, the number of meals served at St. Susan Center reached 108,242, up 9.38% over 2012. In January, 2014, 14,760 meals were served, compared to 8,482 meals in January, 2013. St. Susan Center, located at 31 Water Street in Jamestown, serves each guest only one meal a day and is open seven days a week.

People who have questions or who have ideas of other ways to help the BPU “Cents for St. Susan’s” campaign may contact Mrs. Robbins at 661-1680 or by e-mail: brobbins@jamestownbpu.com.