As the cost of living in New York City rises, so does the number of hungry New Yorkers. Nobody knows this better than City Harvest. My agency relations team recently shared with me that three quarters of our agency partners are rationing food distributions – giving out smaller pantry bags or smaller meal servings – in order to serve a greater number of people. They’re asking City Harvest for more food.
Knowing how critical the situation has now become, we’ve pledged to secure an additional three million pounds of food this year, bringing the total we plan to rescue to 23 million pounds. Keeping in line with our mission, 75% of that poundage will be nutrient dense food like fresh produce, meat, and dairy. I’ve never seen my staff so determined to meet a challenge – because we know how great our impact can be.
Fortunately for City Harvest, New Yorkers remain committed to feeding other New Yorkers. Our continuing deliveries of fresh, nutritious food depend on the generosity of so many individuals and companies. We’re constantly reaching out to new donors and to old friends and finding new, more efficient ways to move food. I’ll keep you updated on our progress throughout the year. It’s a big push, but we’re up to the challenge.
