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(WNY News Now) – Jamestown – WNY News Now recently sat down with Cherie Rowland, Executive Director of the St. Susan’s Center, to discuss the ways that the organization helps to serve the community’s most vulnerable members.

Cherie Rowland, Executive Director of the St. Susan’s Center, spoke with WNY News Now to bring awareness to what all the organization does for the community and those in need.

St. Susan’s Center was founded in 1984 by members of the clergy, with the initial seed money provided by the family of Susan Turbin. Its primary mission is to provide a place where members of the community can come together for a meal in fellowship, especially those in need. Whether someone is facing substance issues, mental hardship, or simply a bad moment in their life, St. Susan’s seeks to offer a helping hand to help them along their way.

Coming up in December, St. Susan’s will be having their 12th annual Holiday Haul on the 12th, 13th, and 14th. The haul, first created by Northwest Arena Executive Director Keith Martin, is set to take place at the Jamestown Cycle Shop, located at 10 Harrison Street in Jamestown.

Cherie expressed the sincere gratitude that St. Susan’s has for all those who have helped its mission from across the community, such as businesses that provide food like Eckloff’s, Wegman’s, Wal-Mart, Target, Panera, and Little Caesar’s, as well as various churches throughout the area, and especially community members who have dedicated their time to help serve the hungry with dignity and respect.

Volunteering, Cherie said, has proven to help feed not just the stomachs of the hungry, but the souls of those who serve. She noted that for many volunteers, being able to give back to the community has helped instill a sense of purpose within them. Whether it’s helping prepare the meals, serving the meals, or keeping the soup kitchen clean and tidy, the work put forth by volunteers has proven indispensible.

St. Susan’s currently has about 120 volunteers and is always on the lookout for those who wish to help. To reach out to learn more about how to become a volunteer, you can contact St. Susan’s at (716) 664-2253.

St. Susan’s is located at 31 Water Street in the Gateway Center, and they operate from 9:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 12:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. on Saturday. To learn more, you can visit https://stsusancenter.org/ for more details.