LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Ralph Della Rocca upon the occasion of
his designation as recipient of the 2016 Sister Mary Coons Award by The
Food Pantries for the Capital District on May 7, 2016

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made signif-
icant contributions to the quality of life therein; and
WHEREAS, Ralph Della Rocca has given not only of his time and energies
but also of his competence, intelligence and leadership and consequently
has been designated for special honor; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Ralph Della
Rocca upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Sister
Mary Coons Award by the Food Pantries for the Capital District to be
celebrated at its 22nd Annual Community Auction on Saturday, May 7,
2016; and
WHEREAS, Named in honor of Sister Mary Coons, a Sister of Mercy for 50
years, this auspicious award is given annually to an individual who
exemplifies the spirit of working together to feed the hungry; and
WHEREAS, Working together to feed the hungry since 1979, The Food
Pantries for the Capital District is a coalition of 53 food pantries
located in Albany, Rensselaer and Saratoga Counties; annually, The Food
Pantries helps fund, collect and deliver nearly 2 million pounds of food
for its member pantries, which provides approximately 2.5 million meals;
and
WHEREAS, The Food Pantries for the Capital District supports its
member pantries by providing service coordination, education, training,
opportunities for networking, infant needs and holiday meal programs;
and
WHEREAS, Ralph Della Rocca has been called upon to contribute his time
and talents to countless civic and charitable endeavors and has always
given of himself unstintingly; and
WHEREAS, For over 16 years, Ralph Della Rocca has served as a stead-
fast and dedicated volunteer at the Food Pantry of Christ Our Light
Catholic Church, providing over 400 hours of assistance each year; and
WHEREAS, In his capacity as Volunteer Supervisor, Ralph Della Rocca
knows and understands the day-to-day operations of the Food Pantry
better than anyone; he is always the first to arrive and the last to
leave; and
WHEREAS, Ralph Della Rocca is involved in many aspects of this vital
community resource including transporting donated items from the Church
to the food pantry, delivering food orders to homebound clients, and
organizing the collection and distribution of back-to-school clothes and
warm winter garments; he is also instrumental in the success of the
Annual Food Pantry Community Auction; and
WHEREAS, Dependable and humble, Ralph Della Rocca appreciates the
clients and always does his best to serve their needs with dignity and
respect; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his work with the Food Pantry of Christ Our
Light Catholic Church, Ralph Della Rocca assists with other activities
in the Church and helps with senior groups; and
WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individ-
ual for the benefit of others which Ralph Della Rocca has displayed
throughout his life; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when individ-
uals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Ralph Della Rocca upon the occasion of his designation as recipi-
ent of the Sister Mary Coons Award by the Food Pantries for the Capital
District; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Ralph Della Rocca.