[City Harvest\Hunger\COVID-19]
City Harvest, New York City’s private response to hunger and largest food rescue organization, has mobilized to feed children, families, and all of our neighbors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: City Harvest
The City Harvest organization is amplifying its efforts to feed hungry New Yorkers during COVID-19 crisis.
Designated an essential service by Governor Cuomo and New York State, City Harvest, New York City’s private response to hunger and largest food rescue organization, has mobilized to feed children, families, and all of our neighbors in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One in five children in New York City don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and many rely on free school breakfasts and lunches as their only source of healthy meals. With schools closed and teachers switching to remote learning this week, many students have limited access to those meals, and with reports of soup kitchens and food pantries in the city closing due to health concerns, and supermarkets struggling to keep their shelves stocked, families are facing greater challenges affording food.
As a result, City Harvest is adjusting operations to ensure everyone in our city has the food they need, while adhering to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to practice social distancing and enhanced hygiene procedures.
Throughout this crisis, City Harvest will continue to run its nine Mobile Markets – which have seen a 30% increase since the COVID-19 outbreak in NYC– throughout the five boroughs. Last week’s efforts allowed City Harvest to distribute 57,000 pounds of food to more than 1,100 households in communities in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. All of the food will be safely pre-packed in to-go bags prior to each distribution so that attendees can quickly pick up the food they need and adhere to health restrictions put in place amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
City Harvest is also running multiple repacks this week at its Food Rescue Facility in Long Island City, Queens. Last week’s repacked yielded 100,000 pounds of shelf stable food and fresh produce, which will continue to be distributed to soup kitchens, food pantries, and at Mobile Markets to help feed families across the city.
From March – June 2020, City Harvest will rescue and deliver over 20 million pounds of nutritious food to meet the increased need during the COVID-19 crisis. To accomplish this, the organization will need to raise $16 million to support its operations through June 2020. The simplest way to support City Harvest is through donations. Currently, every dollar donated to City Harvest will be matched with $2—so every donation goes three times farther. A $10 donation can feed an entire family for a month.
The organization is also urgently in need of volunteers to help repack thousands of pounds of shelf stable food and produce into family-size portions to distribute to community food programs and to our Mobile Markets, with City Harvest’s volunteer experience having been adjusted to ensure a safe experience for all.
To donate, sign up for a volunteer shift, and receive updates about our work, visit cityharvest.org and follow us on social media: Facebook: @cityharvestnyc Instagram: @cityharvestnyc Twitter: @cityharvest
CITY HARVEST’S SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (WEEK OF MARCH 25TH):
Wednesday, March 25
City Harvest Repack
- Time: 9:00am-12:00pm | 1:00pm-4:00pm | 5:00pm-8:00pm
- Location: City Harvest’s Food Rescue Facility, 5501 2nd Street, Queens, NY 11101
City Harvest Mobile Market in the Bronx
- Time: 8:45am-11:30am
- Location: Melrose – 286 E 156th Street, at the Classic Center
Thursday, March 26
City Harvest Repack
- Time: 9:00am-12:00pm | 1:00pm-4:00pm | 5:00pm-8:00pm
- Location: City Harvest’s Food Rescue Facility, 5501 2nd Street, Queens, NY 11101
Friday, March 27
City Harvest Repack
- Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm | 5:30pm-8:00pm
- Location: City Harvest’s Food Rescue Facility, 5501 2nd Street, Queens, NY 11101
Saturday, March 28
City Harvest Mobile Market in Manhattan
- Time: 8:45-11:30am
- Location: Washington Heights/Inwood – Between Nagle Avenue and 10th Avenue on Dyckman Street
City Harvest Mobile Market in Manhattan
- Time: 8:45-11:30am
- Location: Prince Hall – Outside the Prince Hall Masonic Temple at 454 West 155th Street, near the corner of St. Nicholas Avenue
City Harvest Mobile Market in Queens
- Time: 8:45-11:30am
- Location: Queensbridge – Held in the basketball court directly behind the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House (40-07 Vernon Boulevard)
About City Harvest:
City Harvest is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. We will rescue 66 million pounds of food this year and deliver it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community partners across the five boroughs. Our programs empower individuals through nutrition education, increase our partners’ capacity, and strengthen the local food system, helping New Yorkers who are experiencing food insecurity to access, afford, and consume nutritious food.
To learn more about our work, visit cityharvest.org.
