Our Work

Lollypop Farm

Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, has been helping animals and people since 1873. Support from the community enables around 115 staff members and more than 800 volunteers to care for approximately 10,000 animals each year. It makes various programs possible to address issues contributing to the surrender of unwanted animals.

Molly and Ed are co-chairs of the “Kindness for All Kind” campaign that addresses the needs of the ever-changing landscape in animal welfare. MESCF is supporting the “Kindness for All Kind campaign” with a commitment to the welfare of animals who have no voice.

There are many ways to help support animals at Lollypop Farm. Donations of funds, supplies, or volunteer hours make a real difference in the lives of pets in need in our community.

Family Promise of Ontario County

Family Promise of Ontario County is a local affiliate of the national Family Promise organization that works to address family homelessness, including prevention, shelter, and stabilization services. Family Promise has impacted over 1 million family members in its 30-year history. Their goal is to change the future for 1 million children by 2030, tackling the severe shortage of affordable housing in America caused by rising rents and stagnant wages.

MESCF is working with Family Promise of Ontario to expand its capacity to house families with a new emergency shelter in 2024 that will accommodate six to eight families in the city of Canandaigua.

Wilmot Cancer Institute

UR Medicine's Wilmot Cancer Institute provides world-class cancer treatment and care and conducts pivotal research. Their goal is to prevent and conquer cancer through innovation in science, patient care, education, and community outreach.

MESCF supports the Wilmont Cancer Institute’s cancer research, which will soon eclipse cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death worldwide. Tomorrow’s cures are needed now.

Society for the Protection and Care of Children

SPCC is the country's oldest non-profit focused on meeting the needs of children and families facing hardships and trauma. SPCC provides child protective services and organizes foster care for abused children. Currently, they operate seven programs which together serve 7,000 individuals per year.

MESCF is working with SPCC to help them expand their development office and the services they can offer. The needs of families in our community far outweigh the available resources. Please consider supporting SPCC.

St. Peter’s Kitchen

St. Peter’s Kitchen has served the Rochester community for over 39 years. They serve a hot, well-balanced lunch to 180 people daily. Their mission is to strive to build a stronger community by welcoming all in need, treating everyone with love, and attempting to eradicate hunger in downtown Rochester.

MESCF is helping St. Peter's expand their food production capacity to help meet a rising need. There are many ways to get involved in helping St. Peter’s, including donating, volunteering, or hosting a fundraiser.

Willow Domestic Violence Center

Willow Domestic Violence Center is an emergency shelter providing a safe haven for over 300 adults and 250 children annually. They build a safer community through shelter, services, and support for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.

Ed served as a Willow board member from 2007 to 2017. Molly and Ed worked to help build Willow’s newest shelter, the Shill Family Center, in 2017.

There are many ways to give your time and talent to help survivors thrive. By supporting Willow, you are investing in the healing journey of survivors here in our community. With help, we can tell survivors; they are not alone.

Golisano Children's Hospital

University of Rochester's Golisano Children's Hospital is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children's hospital in Rochester, NY. It provides safe, effective, innovative, and family-centered care for children in the Central New York region. The Region's only Level 1 Trauma and Burn Center offers a complete range of health services for children from birth to 19 years of age.

Molly Shill has served on the Golisano Children's Hospital Board since 2022. MESCF supports the hospital's new pediatric immediate access walk-in center, which will provide mental health emergency assessments, community-wide coordination of youth family crisis services, and develop innovative practices for crisis intervention.

Golisano Children's Hospital hosts many events annually to support the children they care for.

Gordy and Friends

Gordy and Friends is a volunteer group that aids chained and penned dogs suffering from isolation, inadequate shelter, and lack of necessities. Their mission is to prevent dogs from living in such conditions, advocating for freedom, love, and safety for every dog. They provide shelter, food, treats, and comfort to improve the dogs' quality of life.

MESCF is supporting Gordy and Friends in sustaining their operations to fulfill their mission.

Ferals and Kittens and Cats Oh My

Ferals and Kittens and Cats Oh My's mission is to address the stray, abandoned, unwanted companion and feral cats in Rochester, NY, and end needless euthanasia because of shelter overpopulation.

MESF is helping FKCOM to sustain their mission.

Meals for the Homeless

Meals for the Homeless is a volunteer-run group that organizes on Facebook. Their mission is to coordinate homecooked dinner meals to be prepared and served on a scheduled basis to houseless families living in local motels and hotels.

Often houseless families cannot live in a shelter due to unusual circumstances and are placed in local motels or hotels. These rooms do not have kitchens, so warm, cooked meals are unavailable. Meals for the Homeless is a volunteer effort that serves dinner meals until more official resources are available. Many school-aged children are living in these motels.

MESCF is helping Meals for the Homeless scale its ability to feed children and families.

Habitat for Cats

Habitat for Cats is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization specializing in the Trap-Neuter-Return of feral and abandoned cats. They focus on reducing cat overpopulation by implementing a trap-neuter-return [TNR] program and educating the public on the benefits of this non-lethal method of population control. Their teams help relocate and alter over one hundred cats throughout the year. They save innocent lives because many of these cats are simply abandoned. They provide feeding, bedding, and basic shelter for their colonies.

The MESCF is helping Habitat for Cats shelter and care for cats from the recent winter storms.

There are many ways to help Habitat for Cats through donations, becoming a foster, or even adopting a feral cat. They are also always looking to rehome feral cats to new barns or shops where you can care for them. It is also super helpful to spread the word about what an excellent job Habitat for Cats is doing in our community. Financial donations are often used to purchase equipment used to trap, transport, and relocate cats rescued by their team.