I Rise for Unity

At Food Bank, we are proud to be a grant recipient of the Grubhub Community Fund, which provides resources to organizations like ours to empower and support our neighbors. This Hunger Action Month, Grubhub has taken its partnership a step further by sponsoring our “Together We Rise” series, which features stories of resilience and strength from the folks who power our mission every day. Ray Lu is a member of Food Bank's Junior Board, where he works with his fellow community members to support and raise awareness about Food Bank's mission to fight hunger for ALL New Yorkers. Read on to learn a little bit more about Ray and how he found his place in New York City through volunteering with a food pantry in his neighborhood. Where in NYC do you live? What’s something special about your neighborhood that people may not know? I lived in Chelsea for several years before moving up to Morningside Heights. On weekends, the street outside of Hungarian Pastry Shop on 111th Street and Amsterdam is closed to traffic and open for community events! What does community mean to you? A community is a group of people who support each other. I often tell people that I struggled when I first moved to New York City - in part because I didn't find my communities. Over time, I connected with people who cared about the same things that I did, which made a world of difference. What keeps you motivated when times get tough? I turn to my friends and family for support. I recognize that I'm lucky to have those people in my life, and part of my daily goal is to share their capacity for care with others around me. Living life for others, with others, is in a way the essence of empathy and compassion. What keeps you connected to Food Bank’s mission to feed and nourish ALL New Yorkers? I've been volunteering at a Food Bank-affiliated pantry for over two years, and the fellow volunteers have become some of my closest friends. Though the food bank is located in my old neighborhood in Chelsea, I still find time on Saturday mornings to give back to and connect with the community. In addition, the Junior Board at Food Bank is comprised of an incredible group of people who inspire me to be better every day. What do you rise for? I rise for economic justice and empowerment. Food Bank For New York City’s “Together We Rise” series is presented by Grubhub, our Hunger Action Month partner whose immense generosity is enabling us to continue the work of feeding and nourishing ALL New Yorkers in these challenging times.

At Food Bank, we are proud to be a grant recipient of the Grubhub Community Fund, which provides resources to organizations like ours to empower and support our neighbors. This Hunger Action Month, Grubhub has taken its partnership a step further by sponsoring our “Together We Rise” series, which features stories of resilience and strength from the folks who power our mission every day. Annie Poon is one of the newest members of our Food Bank family. She began supporting our mission at the height of COVID-19 and later became a monthly donor when she saw just how far her support could go. Read her story below and learn all about her commitment to fighting for the needs of children in her community. What is your hunger story – in other words, your connection or experience with food insecurity? I left my first college before completing my education. I abruptly entered the elusive job search without the support of my parents or family. The local pet store accepted my application, but I was only making $4.15 an hour. Over time, my boss started giving me less and less hours. Finally, one day, the company scheduled a meeting for all the staff at my supervisor’s home. I didn’t have a car and the only way to get to the meeting was to take two long bus rides with a long walk on both ends, I arrived at the meeting when it had just wrapped up. My boss fired me the next day and I suddenly couldn’t afford the rent on my apartment anymore. I grew alfalfa sprouts in the refrigerator and purchased cheap cheese slices to put on my sandwiches. One day I asked my roommates if they wanted to trade some food with me. They laughed at me and said they knew there was no food in my cabinet. This is my story of food insecurity. It was short lived, but I learned a lot about what it feels like to go without food and resources. When I was a little more financially secure, I determined that I could make a small monthly donation to Food Bank so that a few less children in my community would go hungry each month. What keeps you motivated when times get tough? When times get tough, I take out my pencil and write in my thick white journal. It is a simple pleasure, free but satisfying. The ability to write in my journal gives me joy. It is a friend to me. I also love to write down the inspiring words I hear when I pray. What compelled you to become a Food Bank supporter? I have never met any of the staff of Food Bank personally, but I have read the materials sent to me and realized that I wanted to be in this community that the Food Bank has created. I became even more motivated to give when I learned that a dollar can provide several meals for neighbors in my community. I imagine my dollar traveling through the city — through the blocks and past high rises — into the hands that prepare food for my fellow New Yorkers. Visualizing that little dollar going to those who need it most creates a beautiful image in my heart. As inflation drives food, rent, and gas prices higher across the city, how are you staying hopeful? As inflation drives food, rent, and gas prices higher across the city, I stay hopeful by changing my diet to less expensive foods, but preparing them with love and joy. I have recently started saying a prayer of thanks each and every day that I have daily bread to eat and a roof over my head. I feel lucky for this daily miracle no matter what I am eating. What do you rise for? I rise for children. Food Bank For New York City’s “Together We Rise” series is presented by Grubhub, our Hunger Action Month partner whose immense generosity is enabling us to continue the work of feeding and nourishing ALL New Yorkers in these challenging times.

At Food Bank, we are proud to be a grant recipient of the Grubhub Community Fund, which provides resources to organizations like ours to empower and support our neighbors. This Hunger Action Month, Grubhub has taken its partnership a step further by sponsoring our “Together We Rise” series, which features stories of resilience and strength from the folks who power our mission every day. Though a recent transplant to New York City, Elizabeth Schiffmann has already become a regular volunteer at Food Bank’s Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in West Harlem. As she continues to explore her new city, she says that serving at Food Bank has helped her to feel more connected to her neighbors across the five boroughs. Elizabeth rescuing produce at a recent “Farm 2 Food Bank” volunteer shift at the Union Square Farmers’ Market. Where in NYC do you live? What’s something special about your neighborhood that people may not know? I live on the Upper East side and feel like I’m still getting to know my neighborhood as I moved here last October. But something I love is that there is a neighborhood group that works on preserving the trees along the streets and sidewalks. They prune and keep the wrought iron barriers in good shape. What does community mean to you? For me, community means getting to know the needs of your neighbors and helping if you can. This can include beautifying one’s surroundings or volunteering at a place like Food Bank. What keeps you motivated when times get tough? Having moved here from the metro Boston area, I do not know many people, so this has been tough at times. Getting involved and helping out around a new community was the easiest way to better understand my new home. This also helps when I have some “poor me” moments! As inflation drives food, rent, and gas prices higher and higher across the city, how are you staying hopeful? I stay hopeful because I see how people truly care for one another and help each other, though often there are obstacles that they personally face. There is nothing we can’t do when we come together. What keeps you connected to Food Bank’s mission to feed and nourish ALL New Yorkers? I would not like to go hungry myself. The staff and other volunteers at Food Bank’s Community Kitchen & Food Pantry have been so positive, friendly, professional, and extremely hard-working. What do you rise for? I rise for hunger and justice. Food Bank For New York City’s “Together We Rise” series is presented by Grubhub, our Hunger Action Month partner whose immense generosity is enabling us to continue the work of feeding and nourishing ALL New Yorkers in these challenging times.