United Way of Cayuga County’s 8th Annual Personal Care Drive Supports 19 Agencies
Drive Extended, Can You Help Them Reach the Goal of 3,000 Items?
Auburn, New York, October 16, 2025 – Over the course of two months, with the help of 26 donation sites, 2,406 items have been donated to the United Way of Cayuga County’s 8th Annual Countywide Personal Care Drive.
Earlier this week, 14 volunteers picked up boxes from across the county then spent hours sorting, counting, and preparing boxes for distribution to 19 Cayuga County food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. These items will be distributed by CAP Cayuga / Seneca over the next two weeks.
This year, the United Way’s goal was to collect 3,000 items—can you help the United Way collect the last 600 items? Now through Halloween hygiene items can be donated at the the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce (2 State Street, Auburn) or you can donate at their Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 22 at Owen Orchards. Items collected through the end of the month will be distributed between United Way Member Agencies: Auburn Rescue Mission, Harriet Tubman Liberation Foundation’s Safe & Warm program, SS Peter & John Episcopal Soup Kitchen, and The Salvation Army.
The boxes that volunteers have prepared for distribution this over the past two days will go out to the following 19 agencies and programs:
- Auburn Rescue Mission
- Brutus-Sennett Food Pantry
- Calvary Food Pantry
- CAP Cayuga / Seneca Pantry
- CAP Domestic Violence Shelter
- Cato Christian Food Pantry
- Cayuga Community College Food Pantry
- Chapel House Shelter
- Fair Haven Community Church Food Cupboard
- King Ferry Food Pantry
- Moravia Hope Food Pantry
- Port Byron Community Food Pantry
- Safe & Warm (program of Harriet Tubman Liberation Foundation)
- SS Peter & John Episcopal Soup Kitchen
- St. Alphonsus Food Pantry
- The Salvation Army
- Throopsville Community Church Food Pantry
- Western Cayuga County Emergency Food Pantry
Thank you to the 26 sites who hosted a box: Art Club @ Cayuga Community College, Bayside Grocery, Bluefield Manor Housing, Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, Cayuga Lake National Bank (x2), Ed & Jean’s Market, Five Star Bank, King Ferry Corner Store, Kinney Drugs (Weedsport), Lyons National Bank (x2), Matthew House, Modern Market, SCAT Van, Seymour Public Library, Terry’s Food Market, The Commons on St. Anthony, Tompkins Community Bank, Union Springs Supermarket, Unity House (x3), Village Market, Wegmans Food Markets, and Westminster Manor Adult Home.
Can you donate items at the Annual Meeting on October 22 at Owen Orchards? The event starts at 4:00pm, with a formal program beginning around 4:15pm that includes an introduction of new Board Members, a presentation by the Auburn YMCA-WEIU’s new CEO, Scott Sincerbeaux, as well as light snacks, cider, and donuts. After the formal program, the Volunteer Cayuga Launch Party will begin so that community members, like you, can find volunteer opportunities at nonprofits that matter to you! The event is family friendly and only $5 a person. Registration is appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome. Want to donate hygiene items, but cannot stay? Just look for the TomatoFest collection box, Juicy, outside of the brown barn to the left of the Farm Store to donate.
The Countywide Personal Care Drive and Day of Caring are made possible thanks to the incredible support of our community as well as our event sponsors: Cayuga Lake National Bank, Wegmans Food Markets, Nucor Steel Auburn, Classic Hits 99.3, Savannah Bank, Beardsley Architects & Engineers, Pinnacle Investments, MEDENT, Auburn Community Hospital, Bouley Associates, Auburn Crane & Rigging, Lyons National Bank, Tompkins Community Bank, Sophie Cat, East Hill Medical Center, and CJC Paralegal. And a special thank you to Cases Unlimited who donated the drop off boxes for the 8th year in a row! Lastly, thank you to Kevin Rivoli of The Citizen for capturing some great photos for our volunteers on Wednesday—check out his gallery!
Press Release written by Julisa J. Stone-Szpaicher, Campaign & Marketing Manager and submitted to news outlets on Wednesday, October 15, 2025