As child hunger reaches alarming levels in New York City, City Harvest launched its 29th annual Feed Our Kids Food Drive to bring much-needed relief to vulnerable families.
From May 11–June 15, the food drive aims to collect nutritious, kid-friendly food for children and families facing food insecurity across the five boroughs, according to a press release.
A recent report by City Harvest, The State of Child Hunger in NYC, paints a sobering picture: one in four children in New York City does not know where their next meal will come from. With over a million monthly visits to food pantries, soup kitchens and community food programs, the demand for assistance has never been greater, especially as the summer months approach and school meal programs pause.
“Nearly two-thirds of families with children in New York City are struggling to make ends meet,” said Jilly Stephens, the chief executive officer of City Harvest.
City Harvest is New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization, and works with food pantries, soup kitchens and community partners to provide free meals to New Yorkers in need.
Last year alone, the initiative collected over 150,000 pounds of food, which was distributed free of charge throughout the summer, a season that can be particularly difficult for food-insecure children.
The most needed items include canned fruits and vegetables, canned proteins such as tuna and beans, peanut butter in plastic jars, packaged macaroni and cheese, hot and cold cereals, soups and juice packs.
Donation options are flexible, with New Yorkers able to collect food at schools, workplaces and places of worship for City Harvest pickup (with a 100-pound minimum), drop off items at FDNY firehouses, EMS stations, NYPD precincts, and Apple Bank branches, set up a fresh food drive online through #GiveHealthy, or donate funds via cityharvest.org, where just $5 can help feed 11 children for a day.
