Team Red, White & Blue Supports OCO Nutrition Services

Oswego County Opportunities  Nutrition Services received a pleasant surprise recently when Team Red, White & Blue, Oswego Chapter, showed up at OCO’s Nutrition site in Mexico with a large donation of food items for OCO’s food pantry.  Established in 2014, the mission of the Oswego Red, White, & Blue Team (RWB) is to enrich veterans’ lives by connecting them to the community through physical fitness and social activity.  The team, which has more than 200 members, is composed of veterans, active duty, and reserves.  Team members also include family and friends of veterans, as well as community members wishing to give back in a meaningful and impactful way.

“We are always looking to expand our reach throughout Oswego County,” said Team RWB Oswego Community Engagement Director Caitlin Pollard.  “When I began searching for ways to do so I was directed to OCO, and with all the programs they offer I knew that we could do a lot with them.  When Development Coordinator Margret Barclay told me about OCO’s Meals on Wheels program and that its food pantry was in need of food I knew we could help them out.  And with several of OCO’s Meals on Wheels recipients being veterans it was a perfect fit for us!”

Pollard and her fellow team members spent the past several weeks collecting donations of non-perishable foods, which they personally delivered to OCO’s nutrition site in Mexico.  “We brought OCO the food by doing what we refer to as a ‘Ruck’, we placed the food in backpacks and marched it to the OCO site carrying American flags,” Pollard said.

“It was a sight to see,” said OCO Nutrition Services Coordinator Bridget Dolbear.  “They delivered several large bags of food to help fill our pantry’s shelves and they were able to tour our facility and see our kitchen where we prepare and package the food for our Meals on Wheels program.”
Part of the nationwide Team Red, White, & Blue organization the Oswego chapter has been involved in a number of charitable endeavors such as Toys for Tots, Habitat for Humanity, and Friends of Fulton Parks, among many others. 

“We’re happy that we were able to partner with OCO’s Meals on Wheels program and look forward to volunteering for meal preparation and delivery.  Team Red, White & Blue is always looking for new ideas on how to best serve the community,” added Pollard.

For more information on Team RWB Oswego contact Caitlin Pollard at caitlin.pollard@teamrwb.org.
For more information about Meals on Wheels or OCO Nutrition Services, contact Bridget Dolbear at 315-598-4717 ext. 1813 or bdolbear@oco.org.

Here, members of Oswego Team Red, White, & Blue are shown delivering the large donation of food items to Oswego County Opportunities OCO Nutrition Services’ Food Pantry in Mexico. From left are: Zachary Eddy, Sierra Eddy, and Jeffery Eddy.  Back row from left: OCO Nutrition Services Coordinator Bridget Dolbear, OCO Development Coordinator Margaret Barclay, Caitlin Pollard, Tracey Faul, Stan Jennings, Nichole Dietrich, Teresa Mech, Wayne Tice, Brian Levendusky, Ann Monroe, and Cali Eddy.