Write a commentAli and John Rozonewski are passionate about making food more accessible to people in the community.
The couple are currently putting together meal kits that will feed families of 4-6 people. Their current goal is to give out 120 kits in the first week of December, with more going out around Christmas. Ali told iHeart Oswego that they may be able to increase their first goal due to the incredible community response.
Donations are being accepted until November 30th, then the couple and approximately 10 volunteers will be assembling and distributing the meal kits to local food pantries and pantry boxes the following week. While the Rozonewskis are leading the effort, they also took time to recognize Michael and Alissa Miceli, as well as Jessie and Rachel Linnborn, as well as other community members who have stepped up to make this mission a reality.
The Rozonewskis are not just trying to feed people anything—they are also thinking through how to make meals more accessible for people with additional challenges. Their ultimate goal is to get a Disability Access program off the ground: “Part of [that includes] a mobile food pantry that delivers fully ready to eat meals and easy to cook meal kits to housebound disabled people in our area,” Ali explained. The program will include dinners, breakfasts, and birthday cake kits.
The inspiration for the program comes from deep personal experience. “I used to volunteer at a soup kitchen years ago,” Ali shared. “It’s a wonderful resource, but not very accessible for housebound individuals or those with mobility challenges who can’t easily travel just for a hot meal. Food pantries, while also invaluable, often provide items that require additional ingredients like butter, milk, oil, or eggs—things not everyone has access to, especially people without a working kitchen or those who are unhoused or homeless.”
After becoming disabled and largely housebound herself, Ali has firsthand experience with how difficult it can be to meet one’s basic needs and conduct the business of life.
“The mayor of Fulton has been incredibly supportive of our mission. When I was turned away by the clerk’s office while trying to obtain a marriage license due to being housebound, he personally stepped in and made sure a clerk came to my home to issue it,” she told our team. “Together, we believe it was the first at-home marriage license granted in Fulton, a small but powerful example of what accessibility and compassion can achieve when the community works together.”
So, how can you help? “We definitely are looking for any local restaurant or business who want to sponsor [lunch for] the volunteers who are building the kits, and we are accepting any and all donations from our list,” Ali told our team. “Everything we get will be donated. Many people are donating money which we then use to shop the list as well.”
Items on the list include:
- Canned chicken
- Cans of corn
- Knorr Rice Sides Spanish Rice
- Boullion cubes
- Velveeta cheese sauce
- 2-gallon bags
- Black beans
- Pinto beans
- Kidney beans
- Tomato sauce
- Cans of diced tomatoes and green chiles
- Chili seasoning
- Cake mix
- Frosting
- Birthday candles
- Cans of soda
- 9x13 foil trays with lids
- Birthday paper signs and table cloths
For more information on this effort, you can contact the Rozonewskis at allisonjmarketing@gmail.com or text 315-352-0352.
