WHO WE ARE
Community-based.
Community- driven
Community-Compassion Coalition is an entrepreneurial-based, innovative nonprofit located in Central New York. We focus on community-based giving, meeting needs as they arise. This means our giving is different from year to year, as the needs of the community change.
RECLAIMING DIGNITY
AND DISTRIBUTING HOPE
History
Compassion Coalition, Inc. is fully funded by its social enterprise, Bargain Grocery, making us a self-sustaining nonprofit. Without reliance on government grants or external operational funding, we have the freedom and flexibility to meet urgent community needs that often go unmet due to strict grant guidelines. Our model creates long-term sustainability while tackling food insecurity and inequality in a community classified as a food desert.
For over 19 years, we’ve partnered with local nonprofits, schools, and organizations to empower them and serve Central New York. Each year, Compassion Coalition distributes more than $20 million in donated goods — from mattresses and furniture to school supplies, food, and essentials — impacting over 350,000 individuals annually.
After the first year of operation
Founded by Mike Servello Sr., Compassion Coalition was born from a desire to break the cycle of nonprofit dependence on grant funding. After seeing how competitive and limiting traditional funding was, Mike took a bold, entrepreneurial approach. In 2002, he launched Bargain Grocery, an innovative solution to address the area’s food desert by selling donated and surplus goods at deeply discounted prices. This God-inspired idea has since fueled both our mission and operations.
Today, Bargain Grocery is a thriving 13,000 sq. ft. retail space, growing from its humble 1,200 sq. ft. beginnings. Our self-sustaining model continues to create ripple effects across Utica and beyond, providing access, dignity, and hope — one family at a time.
MEET OUR Team
Leadership board
Mike Servello
CEO/FOUNDER
Joseph Servello
COO
Joe Swift
Director of finance & Admin
Vincent Supino
Store & logistics manager
Anita Synakowski
Warehouse Manager
Daniel Morgan
Warehouse Supervisor
Ryan Barone
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Phil Vecchio
Corporate Compliance Officer
JFortunato Scerbo Jr.
Treasurer
OUR FACILITY
UTICA, NY
Located at 1110 Lincoln Ave in Utica, NY, Compassion Coalition’s Bargain Grocery operates out of a 13,000 sq. ft. facility in the heart of West Utica. What began as a modest 1,200 sq. ft. space has grown into a full-service grocery store and distribution hub, serving as both a retail location and a vital resource center for our community.
Our facility is positioned within a federally designated food desert, making it a critical access point for affordable, healthy food options. In addition to the grocery store, our warehouse space allows us to receive and distribute truckloads of donated goods and surplus products to nonprofits, schools, and individuals across Central New York.
With ample space, modern equipment, and a dedicated team, our facility is designed to meet the growing needs of the community we serve.
