On December 11, 2015, Senator John A. DeFrancisco visited the new Samaritan Center, located in the former St. John Evangelical Church, at 215 North State Street in Syracuse.

Senator DeFrancisco is pictured with (from left to right) John Sindoni, Peter Derrenbacker and Mary Beth Frey, the executive director of the Samaritan Center.  The Samaritan Center is an interfaith effort of community members committed to serving the hungry and those in need.  Since 1981, its mission has been to fight hunger in the greater Syracuse community by providing nutritious hot meals to anyone in need, seven days a week.