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Giving People What They Need

In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we are celebrating Food Bank member agencies that uplift and serve AAPI New Yorkers. One of these...

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Food Insecurity |

Giving People What They Need

In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we are celebrating Food Bank member agencies that uplift and serve AAPI New Yorkers. One of these...

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In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we are celebrating Food Bank member agencies that uplift and serve AAPI New Yorkers. One of these agencies is the MUNA Social Services, a Bangladeshi-run organization that operates out of East New York and provides culturally-relevant food and educational programming. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York City in 2020, MUNA saw an urgent need for fresh food in the East New York community and sprang into action, pooling together resources and getting creative to buy groceries and distribute them to neighbors in need. Sometimes, MUNA even called upon local cab drivers to deliver food safely through contactless drop-offs – a clever solution during a time when many drivers saw a decline in riders. MUNA's weekly distributions are lively and bustling. As the need grew, MUNA knew it had to scale up its efforts. That's when it turned to Food Bank For New York City for support. Since then, MUNA and Food Bank have collaborated to host weekly food distributions outside of a local mosque, providing a lifeline to the Bengali community in East New York. These distributions offer a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables from Food Bank. And because 80% of MUNA's clients are Muslim, MUNA goes the extra mile to provide Halal meats whenever available – an expensive but essential staple in Bengali cooking. MUNA’s distributions often last for 5 hours and can serve over 100 people per hour! Food Bank provides MUNA with fresh produce so that New Yorkers can cook according to their own cultural traditions. But MUNA didn't stop there. Recognizing the high demand for food in its community, it increased its distributions and scaled up to offer extra support on weekends. MUNA also operates food pantries in Delaware and New Jersey, ensuring that other American-Bengali communities have access to the food they need to thrive. Dr. Kabir and Mr. Haq reflect on their work at MUNA. Dr. Jahangir M. Kabir, Director of Communication and Operations at MUNA, reflects on his organization’s work: "We are a very loving community. We welcome everybody and anybody; they can come anytime. Our mosque is open. We have the same dreams and hopes like everybody else, the same problems and challenges as everybody else." MUNA's team of volunteers is dedicated and hard working. For more on how MUNA innovates to nourish its community, watch the video below... At Food Bank, we're honored to support organizations like MUNA that go above and beyond to serve their neighbors. Together, we're working to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Click here to learn more about and support these vital organizations.
Ambassadors |

Lights. Camera. Volunteers!

Time flies when you’re having fun and making an impact doesn’t it? In honor of National Volunteer Month, Food Bank threw a celebration for the amazing individuals who...

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Time flies when you’re having fun and making an impact doesn’t it? In honor of National Volunteer Month, Food Bank threw a celebration for the amazing individuals who give their time, resources, and talents to help us empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Can we get a round of applause? Food Bank staff celebrated our amazing volunteers. This year’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Party was a night to remember! The room was buzzing with energy as we commemorated a year of hard work, dedication, and commitment to serving our neighbors in need. Volunteers, their friends, and Food Bank Staff enjoyed a memorable night of food, fun, and gratitude. Food Bank recognized volunteers who have gone above and beyond to serve our mission, recognizing their dedication and commitment with Libby Awards. Nicole, Director, Volunteer Engagement thanking volunteers. To all of our incredible volunteers – thank you. Thank you for your passion, your hard work, and your unwavering commitment to making New York City a better place for everyone. We couldn't do this without you, and we're so honored to have you as part of our Food Bank family. Food Bank volunteers reveled at The Slate. Cheers to another year of fighting hunger and empowering our communities, together! Cheers to the 2024 volunteer season! Without further ado, we present to you the following exceptional individuals and organizations who have left an indelible mark on our organization… Joanie Wang, Volunteer of the Year Joanie always arrives early and gets right to work. She’s come to know the process of our pantry distribution so well that she is able to anticipate our needs. And her work doesn’t stop at serving in our pantry – Joanie has served more than 180 hours across four Food Bank programs in just the past year! For this, we honored Joanie with our Volunteer of the Year award. Unfortunately, Joanie could not attend, so our Director of Volunteer Engagement, Nicole Harrison, accepted the award on Joanie’s behalf. Stop & Shop, Outstanding Corporate Partner This year we presented our Outstanding Corporate Partner award to Stop & Shop. We cannot express how grateful we are to each of the Stop & Shop staff members who have joined us on the ground at our Mobile Pantry and pop-up distributions across the five boroughs. We also thank them for the 2,500 turkeys they donated to ensure our neighbors could serve robust meals this Thanksgiving. Our Mobile Pantry Director, Chantel Peters, joined our Manager of Volunteer Engagement, Aaliyah Cardenas, to present the award to Shannon Karafian, accompanied by volunteer Denise Johnson, to accept on behalf of Stop & Shop. We are so grateful for their continued service and partnership! Johanna Goldman, Outstanding Community Kitchen & Food Pantry Volunteer Johanna always comes to our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry with the enthusiasm to help where it is needed most, putting her all into the work that she does. In the past year, Johanna has served over 200 hours in our Food Pantry! Unfortunately, Johanna could not attend so the Associate Director of our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry, Sam Burgos, accepted the award on Johanna’s behalf. P.S. M79 – Horan School, Outstanding Community Kitchen & Food Pantry Partner The Horan School empowers individuals with developmental and learning disabilities by creating equitable opportunities for their students to encourage their engagement within the community. Since they have begun serving with us, they have served more than 540 hours in our pantry. We so appreciate the dedication, commitment, and compassion their group has exemplified in our Food Pantry, and we are proud to be presenting them with this award. Debbie-Ann Morrison, Outstanding Warehouse Volunteer While our Repack Programming has previously been geared towards groups of 10 our more, we’ve recently begun hosting shifts to invite individuals and families to help us better support our warehouse. Debbie-Ann has served with Food Bank since before the pandemic hit in March 2020. We thank her for sticking by us in times of adversity and committing to empowering our neighbors. We are proud to honor her with our Outstanding Warehouse Volunteer award! Juliana Musonda, Outstanding Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Volunteer Juliana’s positive attitude allowed us to provide quality tax preparation service without stress and her can-do attitude and willingness to be challenged is a testimony of her character. She has gone above and beyond this year, filing 150 returns and secured $249,803 in refunds to our neighbors. We are so grateful for her service and are proud to present her with the Outstanding VITA Volunteer award! Johanna could not attend so the Associate Director of our VITA Coordinator, Erika Landi, accepted the award on Juliana’s behalf. St. John’s University and Queensborough Community College (QCC), Outstanding VITA Partner This year, St. John’s and QCC students have come together to file over 1,100 returns putting more than $1,500,000 back into the pockets of New Yorkers city-wide. We are beyond grateful for everything our partners have done to encourage students to get involved in our VITA program. Professors Nina Dorata and Mark Ulrich accepted the awards on the schools’ behalf. Deliverance Baptist Church, Outstanding Mobile Pantry Partner Since the Mobile Pantry program’s inception, Deliverance Baptist Church has hosted the most distributions and served the most families, providing crucial resources and food to over 9,000 households. Food Bank honors the many ways DBC has continued to show up for food insecure New Yorkers. Unfortunately, Deliverance Baptist Church could not attend so our Mobile Pantry Team, Melissa Pino and Chantel Peters, accepted the award on Johanna’s behalf. To get involved and volunteer, email us at volunteer@foodbanknyc.org. Volunteers with Zac Hall, Senior Vice President of Programs at Food Bank For New York City. Raffle items included an autographed Henrik Lundquist jersey. Catering by Slate.
Food Insecurity |

How to Change with a Neighborhood

In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we are celebrating Food Bank member agencies that uplift and serve our AAPI neighbors across the...

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In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we are celebrating Food Bank member agencies that uplift and serve our AAPI neighbors across the five boroughs. One of these agencies is the Center for Family Life, which operates in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The Center was originally established in the late 1970s to support families in the neighborhood, the majority of whom were Spanish-speaking. Flash forward several decades, and while the Center and its mission have stayed intact, they've evolved to serve a new demographic — Mandarin-speaking New Yorkers, who now make up half of the community population. To reach these new neighbors, the Center for Family Life not only adapted its programming, but innovated solutions to empower them with the food, services, and specific resources they need to thrive. See how in our interview below, which covers the power of translation, the importance of person-to-person outreach, and a scamming problem plaguing Brooklynites in Sunset Park. A Center for Family Life community member receiving fresh radishes and eggs at a distribution. When and why were you first established? How has your mission changed to serve New Yorkers today? Cathy Vargas, Community Services Program Director: The Center was established in the 70s and 80s in New York City, so there was a lot going on *laughs*. Our approach has always been very tied to the neighborhood and originally began with a focus on family counseling. Since then, we've grown and become well known here in the neighborhood. Instead of expanding our services out, we've expanded our services deeper into our community. We now have an after-school program; two neighborhood centers; an enrichment center; a food pantry; benefits access, legal aid, and adult employment services; ESOL classes, work readiness programs... pretty much a one stop shop for everyone. When we started, we were primarily Spanish-speaking, but as we saw the AAPI community grow here in Sunset Park, our clientele became evenly split between those who speak Spanish and those who speak Mandarin. We started incorporating more staff and case planners into our work and now almost everyone here is bilingual, either with English/Spanish or English/Mandarin. Visitors to the Center are growing, thanks to rising grocery prices and an influx of newly arrived New Yorkers to the neighborhood. What are some of the unique struggles faced by the AAPI New Yorkers you serve? Tenzin Dhadon, Benefit Enroller: Many of our AAPI neighbors don't realize there are benefit services they can access for free. A coworker and I started going out to Sunset Park itself and approaching community members to let them know that they can come to us for food and help accessing things like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). We learned that there were a lot of scammers in the neighborhood telling folks that they had to pay for these services, which is not true. We've been able to build trust with AAPI families in the neighborhood, who now come to us for food and benefit enrollment and other services. Even the small thing of being able to read a letter, provide a simple translation for folks... it makes a huge difference. The person-to-person approach has really helped us spread the word about what we do. Fresh produce is a staple of the Center, as are a plethora of other services designed to empower its neighbors. What has it been like to greet new families and faces at the Center? Leomaris Fernandez, Food Pantry Supervisor: As more Mandarin-speaking neighbors started coming to us, I tried using some of the language on the line. Google translate was my best friend! *laughs*. When you're asking for their name, number, or how they're doing and you're speaking their language, folks cry, laugh, they want to hug you... that's how we started getting our regulars. When you don't know the language and you're trying to get food, it can be really scary. Then here comes this little Spanish girl speaking to you in Mandarin and it's this moment of "Wow, she knows how to ask me what I need." Sunset Park is still a large Hispanic community, so some of our clients are even trying to learn a little Spanish. Tenzin: Le had a Mandarin-speaking client who also happened to speak Spanish, so they worked together to communicate with our other neighbors. The truth is that we lean on our clients for support, too. Food distributions happen every day at the Center for Family Life, with special distributions for older New Yorkers and newly arrived families. How do you stay motivated to serve your community, even through all its changes? Cathy: For Le and I, we grew up in the neighborhood, we’re kind of used to it. When we see families that are paying for benefits, we get angry, we go "No, we're not doing that!" When we see newly arrived kids without jackets, we're parents, we're going to figure that out, we're going to help this community, our community, in any way possible. Sunset Park has always been an immigrant community and though those populations might change over time, we are first and foremost a community of mutual aid. If we can't figure it out, we figure it out. We are beyond humbled to partner with and provide food to community-based organizations like Center for Family Life that are doing the work to empower their neighbors with the food, resources, and services they need to thrive. Click here to learn more about and support these vital organizations.
Ambassadors |

A Look Inside the 2024 Gotham Ball

On May 8, Food Bank For New York City took over The Grill & The Pool at the iconic Seagram Building to host our second annual Gotham Ball. More than just a party, this...

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On May 8, Food Bank For New York City took over The Grill & The Pool at the iconic Seagram Building to host our second annual Gotham Ball. More than just a party, this event was a celebration of New York City and its Food Bank, featuring delectable bites from some of the city's most notable chefs. The star-studded crowd not only enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, but also got the chance to bid on exclusive auction items, learn about our work, and, of course, dance the night away. Live entertainment throughout the night captured the rocking spirit of NYC. As guests arrived, they were greeted by smiling Food Bankers and a special cab dressed up for the night's festivities. After checking in, attendees moved to The Grill to mingle over lively conversations, delicious libations, and a groovy DJ set. Guests were invited to pose with our special Food Bank cab. Revelers started the evening in The Grill. At the strike of 8 pm, Party-goers made their way to The Pool, where culinary stations from Dirty French, Carbone, Estiatorio Milos, Nami Nori, and more were waiting for them with specialty small bites and treats. A rocking band was also playing live music that soared throughout the candlelit space. Guests enjoyed small bites and cocktails while sitting around The Pool. Nami Nuri turned it out with these crispy sushi roll-ups. "Next Level Chef" star Cassie Yeung and friend enjoying the music and vibes in The Pool. Why not end the night with delectable bite-sized donuts from Fan Fan Doughnuts? After sampling dishes from our amazing team of chefs, restauranteurs, and culinary superstars, guests gathered to hear remarks from Food Bank Board Member Katie Lee Biegel. Biegel touched on the power of Food Bank supporters and encouraged those in the room to share their Whys with one another. She then introduced Food Bank President & CEO Leslie Gordon to the stage. Food Bank Board Member Katie Lee Biegel delivered a heartfelt speech. Gordon thanked guests for coming and shared updates on what's been going on at Food Bank since last year's Gotham Ball, including the construction of a new refrigeration space in our Warehouse, the reopening of community meal service in our Community Kitchen, and the news that in 2023 we distributed more than 94 million pounds of food to New Yorkers in need, thanks to the generosity of supporters like those gathered in the room. Food Bank President & CEO Leslie Gordon talked about the hunger heroes who have long inspired her own work. She then introduced guests to our neighbor, Gregory. Known in our Community Kitchen for his consummate style and flair, Gregory has been both a participant and volunteer in our programming since 2018. He also happens to run a small business out of his home crafting bespoke bowties that are as vibrant as he is. To celebrate Gregory and his story of resilience and empowerment, Leslie invited guests to turn their attention to the screen to learn more about this amazing New Yorker. Fired up and ready to go, the crowd dove into our live auction, bidding on a range of items including a private culinary adventure at Milos Midtown, a custom art piece from pop artist Ashley Longshore, and bowties handmade by Gregory himself. The auction was a lively affair, with bids zooming across the room. Once the auction was done, it was time to grab the bubbly and dance. As members of our extended Food Bank family moved throughout the space, we couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude for their tireless support of our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Truly, a night we won't soon forget. Enjoy a few more pics below or click here to see our full album! The Pool was the place to be as party-goers mingled with one another and learned about our mission. Leslie Gordon with SNL star and Food Bank friend Kenan Thompson. Guests, including Food Bank Junior Board Chair Sarah Bennett (center), enjoyed a night of live music, amazing food, and new friends.
Fundraising |

A Baby Shower Diaper Donation for Food Bank

When Food Bank Junior Board member JuliaLichtenstein was planning her baby shower, she knew she wanted to give back to her community. So instead of having her guests...

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When Food Bank Junior Board member Julia Lichtenstein was planning her baby shower, she knew she wanted to give back to her community. So instead of having her guests bring gifts, she asked them to donate diapers to Food Bank For New York City instead. And the response was overwhelming – Julia's friends and family donated over 1,500 diapers, which she then dropped off at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Harlem! To learn more about how Julia turned her private celebration into a celebration of giving back to families in our community, read our recent interview with her below! Julia and her newborn. How long have you been involved with Food Bank and what inspires you to stay connected to our mission? I've been supporting Food Bank since my now husband did a fundraiser for his birthday many years ago. As I learned more about Food Bank over the years, I knew I wanted to become more actively involved, and I joined the Junior Board in 2023. I'm consistently amazed by the work Food Bank does to connect New Yorkers in need not only with necessary nutritious food but also critical services like tax preparation to get much needed refunds. Where did the idea for a diaper collection come from? Through my work on the Junior Board, I learned about the Woman to Woman campaign which, conveniently, was active during the same month I planned to hold my baby shower. I wanted to amplify the campaign's goal of connecting women with baby supplies, the cost of which can often be a strain on many households. Were any of your guests surprised to learn that Food Bank provides New Yorkers with resources like diapers? Many of my guests did not realize that Food Bank accepts donations of hygiene products like diapers. I was excited to spread the word that Food Bank is not just about food! There are so many ways that the Food Bank works to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Do you have any tips for New Yorkers looking to engage their communities in acts of giving like this? One of the best parts of working with Food Bank is how simple it can be to make an impact on the community. The guests at my baby shower collectively amassed 1,500 diapers and it was easy to do! Many of the products that Food Bank needs--like pantry staples or personal care products--only require a quick trip to the grocery or drug store. I took the donations uptown to Food Bank the next day and the diapers were distributed to clients right away. My diaper drive is just one example of the many easy ways New Yorkers can gather their communities to collect easy-to-find items and get them into hands that need them. What are some memorable moments you've had while serving with Food Bank? One of my most memorable experiences was spending the day with Leslie Gordon, Food Bank’s President and CEO, and other Food Bank volunteers hearing from Leslie about her many years of work as a food banker and seeing firsthand the operations that keep Food Bank running. It was on that tour that Leslie mentioned that diapers could be among the most expensive personal care items that a household needs and can be a significant financial strain for parents with little ones at home. I did not have children at the time, but her remark stuck with me as I started to grow my family and I knew I wanted to help lighten that burden in whatever small way I could. And finally, what excites you most about motherhood? Think we might get to meet the little one at a distribution someday? The most exciting thing about motherhood is watching your child start to see the world around them. Children bring a fresh sense of wonder and joy that those of us who have been here a bit longer sometimes lose sight of. I can't wait to bring my daughter to a Food Bank volunteer event when she is old enough! I hope to teach her from a young age the importance of being involved in the community around you and lending a hand in whatever way you can. 1,500 Diapers were donated to Food Bank from Julia's Baby Shower. We are so grateful for Julia’s generosity and her contribution to families in New York City. Interested in getting involved? Food Bank can help you make an impact on your special day. Click here to launch your own fundraiser for Food Bank!
Food Assistance |

Building Community at the Food Bank Bronx Borough Chat

Food Bank For New York City provides food and other resources to a network of over 800 food pantries, campus pantries, soup kitchens, and healthcare partners across the...

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Food Bank For New York City provides food and other resources to a network of over 800 food pantries, campus pantries, soup kitchens, and healthcare partners across the five boroughs. To facilitate learning, dialogue, problem-solving, and creative brainstorming within our network, we regularly host “Borough Chats,” which bring together Food Bank Members of the same borough to talk about issues impacting their communities. Join us as we take you inside Food Bank’s recent Bronx Borough Chat, hosted by Victory SDA Church, a longtime Food Bank member in the East Bronx. Victory SDA Church has proudly served its community for over 30 years, providing ready-to-eat meals from its soup kitchen. We are honored to support the work Victory does to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security. Bronx Representatives at Victory SDA Church for Food Bank's borough chat. Our April Bronx Borough Chat was attended by over 25 members who discussed community needs, shared proven solutions, and exchanged ideas and resources to foster ongoing collaboration. Trending topics included the Creation and Cultivation of Community Partnerships as well as Improving Client Interactions during Food Distributions. Attendees also enjoyed presentations from Food Bank, our partners at Bank of America’s Academy, and Reverend John Okon, the Executive Director of Food Bank member Word of Life Pantry. The chat ended with breakout sessions that were uplifting, warm, and productive, inspiring members to think of new and exciting ways to serve their communities. Attendees collaborated and shared ideas about how to better serve the Bronx. Pictured: Sheena Bell (Victory SDA Program Director), Claudia Mollo (Manager, Member Engagement), Claudette Hall (Victory SDA Executive Director), Andrew Gibbs (Director, Member Engagement), Jorge Pino (Bronx Member Engagement Coordinator). Borough Chats exemplify Food Bank's commitment to fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and community-building. By providing a space for Food Bank members to discuss challenges, share successes, and learn from one another, Food Bank is strengthening the network of organizations working to fight food insecurity across New York City. Together, we are making progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for all. Attendees collaborated and shared ideas about how to better serve the Bronx. Spotlight on Victory SDA Church Victory SDA Church has been fighting food insecurity for over three decades. In 1991, Victory SDA established its permanent home at 1271 Burke Ave. in the Bronx. Victory’s soup kitchen distributes nearly 1,000 hot meals a month as well as 250 sandwiches a week for local shelters supporting newly arrived New Yorkers. There is no doubt that Victory SDA is helping our neighbors in the Bronx achieve food security for good. Visit foodbanknyc.org to learn more about our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good.
Member Agencies |

Food Bank Member Delivers 2 Million Diapers to NYC Families

Food Bank For New York City is proud to provide food and other essential items to community-based organizations that work tirelessly to meet the dynamic needs of women...

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Food Bank For New York City is proud to provide food and other essential items to community-based organizations that work tirelessly to meet the dynamic needs of women and families across NYC. One of these organizations is The HopeLine, which recently hit a major milestone of distributing 2 million diapers to families in the Bronx! The HopeLine has been a Food Bank Member since 1994 but has been serving the Bronx for much longer – nearly four decades! While originally established as a food pantry, HopeLine quickly expanded its services to go beyond food to provide English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, SNAP benefit navigation, tax filing assistance, and more. As HopeLine Executive Director Maria Cintron puts it, if families need food, they might need other services to thrive, too. Help women and girls secure the period products, hygiene essentials, and childcare resources they need to thrive! Maria works around the clock to serve community members like Jessica (above right) in the Bronx. In fact, it was in 2015 that Maria saw how the high cost of diapers was impacting New York families, with some forgoing food to afford them. For Maria, this was unacceptable, so she launched a free diaper program to ensure families with babies and young children had access to this costly essential. “When we first started out, we were so happy to receive a thousand diapers that we could give to our moms,” she told us. “Looking back, it’s insane to think how little that is! Today, the need is so great in New York City and there are so few programs that we are having to turn away people on a regular basis. It breaks my heart. But I’m not giving up on them!” The HopeLine celebrated this milestone with neighbors at its location in the Bronx. The HopeLine is one of the few remaining diaper programs in New York City, distributing 7,000-10,000 diapers per week. It’s a daunting task that requires not only thousands of donations, but many hours of staff time to ensure each parent receives the exact diaper size they need for their children, while also running a food pantry that distributes food three times a week to the community. The program recently hosted an event to give away diapers and Food Bank was able to provide donated baby wash and fresh produce to support this 2 million diaper milestone with our valued partner! To learn more about The HopeLine and the work they do to nourish their community, watch the video below: Food Bank For New York City is humbled to provide food and other resources to an extensive Member Network of over 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, and campus partners across the five boroughs. To support organizations like The HopeLine, visit www.foodbanknyc.org.
Food Insecurity |

Soup's On with Jackie Stromfeld

In honor of National Volunteer Month, we're celebrating the incredible Food Bank volunteers who power our mission each day. These neighbors give of their time,...

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In honor of National Volunteer Month, we're celebrating the incredible Food Bank volunteers who power our mission each day. These neighbors give of their time, resources, and talents to help us empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. And they don't all do it in conventional ways. Meet Jackie, for instance, who utilized her background in curriculum development to write a first-of-its-kind guide to organizing and operating a community soup kitchen. For Jackie, it was a way for her to use her gifts to help her neighbors fight back against food insecurity. Click this link to join our amazing community of Food Bank volunteers! Jackie Stromfeld standing in Food Bank's Community Kitchen behind a copy of her book, "Soup's On: The Complete Guide for Organizing and Operating a Soup Kitchen in your Community." "I don't want to say that I've been sheltered, but I have," she told us. "I'd read about soup kitchens, read about food insecurity, but I didn't really understand it until I saw it. And it made a huge impact on me." "People have the right to eat, to have healthy lives, and I wanted to be part of that," she continued. "And all of a sudden it came together for me." Jackie serving meals at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Harlem. After years of research, development, and writing, Jackie is proud to share her guide with the world. Packed with tips, how-to guides, best practices, and hundreds of nutritious recipes, this guide will be a boon to those looking to nourish their communities. And it all began with the simple desire to give back. To meet Jackie and hear her story, click the video below: To join Jackie as a Food Bank volunteer, click this link. There, you can learn more about our volunteer community, explore new service opportunities, and sign up for our volunteer newsletter.
Food Assistance |

Celebrating Our Incredible Food Bank Volunteers

April is Global Volunteer Month, a time for us tocelebrate the Food Bank volunteers who devote their time and energy to our missionof empoweringevery New Yorker to...

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April is Global Volunteer Month, a time for us to celebrate the Food Bank volunteers who devote their time and energy to our mission of empowering every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Each volunteer has played an indispensable role in serving our neighbors and building a stronger, healthier community for all of us. Our Food Bank volunteers are amazing! Click here to join our volunteer community. A member of our Food Bank Junior Board greets a client at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Harlem. Reflecting on a Year of Volunteerism Over the past year, our volunteers have embarked on inspiring journeys, fearlessly taking on the challenges our community faces. The impact of their commitment can be felt across every borough of our amazing city. A Food Bank volunteer greets New Yorkers at a Mobile Pantry distribution. Whether it was packing boxes of nutritious meals for seniors at our Warehouse, distributing groceries to Harlemites from our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry, or packing personal hygiene kits at home, our volunteers have made a difference in the lives of food insecure New Yorkers. Because of their dedication, families have found hope in times of hardship, and individuals have felt the warmth of a caring community around them. Food Bank volunteers packing food at our Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. We’re excited to share the extraordinary milestones we have hit together: Since February 2023, 7,662 volunteers have served 23,502 hours, translating to $742,663 in value to Food Bank's mission. On March 25, we re-engaged volunteers in our Senior Lunch Service and Community Meal programs for the first time since March 2020. From Food Bank’s Community Pantry, volunteers helped serve 38,957 households. Volunteers at Food Bank’s Warehouse & Distribution Center packed 953,056 pounds of food, converting to 779,595 meals. Additionally, Food Bank’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) volunteers have processed more than 3,000 tax returns, helping to put over $5,720,000 in tax refunds back into the pockets of New Yorkers already this year. Food Bank volunteers celebrate the end of a packing shift at our Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. The Power of Volunteering and Encouragement for the Future Volunteering is the heart of our organization, and its power to bring about transformative change is undeniable. We invite each member of our Food Bank community to consider the profound impact they can make by joining us on this incredible journey. If you're ready to join us in empowering our neighbors to achieve food security for good, click here. There, you’ll learn more about our various volunteering opportunities and how YOU can become part of our volunteer family. A smiling volunteer at our Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. Thank you to all of our volunteers for your service, determination, and compassion. Together, we are transforming lives and making progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for ALL New Yorkers. We are so thankful to volunteers who help power our mission every day. Click here to join us on the ground as a Food Bank volunteer!

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