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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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,...
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 Insecurity |
Inside a Food Bank Just Say Yes Lesson
Food Bank For New York City recognizes that healthy eating isn't always easy in our city.To address this challenge, Food Bank offers Just Say Yes (JSY), a community...
Food Bank For New York City recognizes that healthy eating isn't always easy in our city. To address this challenge, Food Bank offers Just Say Yes (JSY), a community nutrition education program designed to help busy New Yorkers incorporate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into their diets and feel more empowered to cook at home. As part of a comprehensive approach to addressing the health needs of New Yorkers, JSY serves all five boroughs through a robust program. Just Say Yes educators conduct nutrition education lessons across all five boroughs. The JSY team consists of two dedicated educators who travel throughout the city, hosting free nutrition education workshops in community centers, food pantries, and churches. The program partners with NYC Health and is funded by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), ensuring its accessibility to a wide range of New Yorkers. Materials attendees receive to further their understanding of nutrition and healthy eating. JSY's model focuses on teaching the "hows" of healthy eating while encouraging a deeper understanding of the "whys." It aims to reach New Yorkers who may not have otherwise had access to nutrition and culinary instruction. Let's take a closer look at a typical JSY workshop recently hosted by Michael, one of Food Bank's Community Nutritionists, at Metro World Child in Bushwick, Brooklyn... Michael began his instruction with a discussion. In a lively community center in a well-equipped dining room, Michael began his lesson by engaging the group in a discussion about their favorite produce. "I cook garlic with EVERYTHING," exclaimed Wendy, a participant. "I literally use it every day." Building on this enthusiasm, Michael explained how different colors of fruits and vegetables often contain different essential vitamins. He delved into the concept of phytochemicals, breaking down the word into "plant" and "nutrients," which is how nutritionists analyze health benefits. Michael also took care to extol the benefits of Wendy's favorite vegetable, noting that garlic is high in oxalates, which with the right amount of calcium, can lower risk for kidney stones. The hands-on portion of the workshop featured a chickpea salad recipe demonstration. Michael described the dish as a "colorful recipe," reinforcing the message of "eating the rainbow" for various health benefits. The ingredients were carefully selected to be affordable, with the salad costing roughly $1 per serving, making it accessible to very tight budgets. As he prepared the salad, Michael offered tips on technique, such as efficiently cutting an onion to minimize liquid release (which causes watery eyes). One participant even filmed the demonstration to try at home. A participant filmed Michael's onion cutting technique for at home use. Cutting onions in this way minimizes the release of liquids which can cause watery eyes. The workshop concluded with a tasting of the chickpea salad and a discussion of participants' thoughts and feedback. It was clear that attendees' voices were valued and their input was welcome. Wendy, an attendee, even spoke fondly of her children's experience with Food Bank's CookShop program during their public school education, a testament to Food Bank’s reach across age groups and communities in New York City. A batch of chickpea salad demonstrated in the lesson. A serving of this chickpea salad costs roughly $1, making it a great choice for New Yorkers on a tight food budget. Through programs like Just Say Yes, Food Bank For New York City is empowering New Yorkers to make healthier choices and fostering a deeper understanding of nutrition. By providing accessible, engaging, and hands-on education, Food Bank is helping to create a healthier, and more informed city, one workshop at a time. Food Bank's Just Say Yes Nutrition Education lessons are conducted year-round all over New York City. For more information on how you can support or learn more about Just Say Yes, click here. -
Food Insecurity |
Nothing Stops Rafaela
Rafaela left her home country of Venezuela with a suitcase of dreams. Leaving everything and everyone she loved behind wasn't easy, but the choice was one she had to...
Rafaela left her home country of Venezuela with a suitcase of dreams. Leaving everything and everyone she loved behind wasn't easy, but the choice was one she had to make. When she arrived in New York City, she struggled to find her footing, but eventually discovered a sense of home at Food Bank's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. Help us get period products, hygiene essentials, and childcare resources to women and girls in need! Rafaela working an early morning shift at Food Bank's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. As a Warehouse Professional, Rafaela spends her days getting food to our neighbors all across the five boroughs. Long hours of heavy lifting, operating fork lifts, and utilizing pallet jacks can be exhausting, but Rafaela says she's proud to give back to a city and a country that has given her so many opportunities. "When you hit rock bottom, you learn to value every single thing you have," she told us. "It's a sense of gratitude you keep in your heart. I want to show myself every day that I can do it... I have no limits - the sky is the limit." Rafaela loading cases of shelf-stable goods at Food Bank's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. We caught up with Rafaela during one of her shifts to learn more about her fighting spirit to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good. Hit play and meet her below: Join us in celebrating the women we serve and those who power our mission every day at this link. Together, we can make progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for ALL. -
Food Insecurity |
Liz in the Warehouse
Elizabeth Romano is the Senior Director of Operations at Food Bank For New York City's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. Each day, she shows up early and...
Elizabeth Romano is the Senior Director of Operations at Food Bank For New York City's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. Each day, she shows up early and leaves late to make sure life-changing produce, hygiene products, and shelf-stable goods reach the homes of those who need them most. Help us get period products, hygiene essentials, and childcare resources to women and girls in need! Elizabeth Romano at Food Bank's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx. When Liz was growing up with five siblings in the Bronx, that home was her own, and she recalls waiting on long pantry lines with her mother to get food for their family. But at the time, she didn't even realize that's what they were doing, as the pantry workers always treated them with such warmth, dignity, and respect. Elizabeth with her younger siblings. Now, Liz gets to return that energy right back to the city she loves. "At the end of the night, I know that our work helped feed somebody today," she told us. "Our donors help any sibling that has to go out and stand in a pantry line with their parent... it can be anything that changes your life." Hit play and meet Liz below: Join us in celebrating the women we serve and those who power our mission every day at this link. Together, we can make progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for ALL. -
Food Insecurity |
Sha-Quana on a Mission
When Sha-Quana was 19, she found herself in a shelter with her baby girl. Times were tough and there were moments when she had only $10 to her name. How would she spend...
When Sha-Quana was 19, she found herself in a shelter with her baby girl. Times were tough and there were moments when she had only $10 to her name. How would she spend the money? Would she buy a sandwich to feed herself or baby formula for her daughter? You know what choice she made and know that it wasn't a choice at all. Help us get period products, hygiene essentials, and childcare resources to women and girls in need! Sha-Quana Cromwell at Food Bank's Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Harlem. But things started to turn around when Sha-Quana got a job at Food Bank's Community Kitchen in West Harlem. At first, it was just a paycheck, but it soon turned into something more. Helping to prepare hundreds of meals a day for New Yorkers in need brought a light into Sha-Quana's life. As she says, she's now on a mission. Sha-Quana with Food Bank Culinary Manager Chef Sheri. To learn more about Sha-Quana and see her in action helping to prepare the hundreds of meals we serve a day at our Community Kitchen, click play below: Join us in celebrating the women we serve and those who power our mission every day at this link. Together, we can make progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for ALL. -
Food Insecurity |
Empower Her, Elevate All
Running from March 1 to May 1 each year, Food Bank's Woman to Woman campaign is all about raising funds to provide women and girls facing food insecurity with the period...
Running from March 1 to May 1 each year, Food Bank's Woman to Woman campaign is all about raising funds to provide women and girls facing food insecurity with the period products, hygiene essentials, and childcare resources they need to thrive. To support this work, we run ads throughout the city featuring women and girls proudly served by Food Bank member agencies. At this year's photoshoot, we met Jessica, who came to us on the recommendation of our friends at The HopeLine in the Bronx. Jessica showed up early, ready to offer her voice and perspective to the campaign. When we started talking to her, it was clear that she had a story to share, one rooted in struggling to feed her family of five amidst cuts to her benefits and the rising costs of everything from baby formula to diapers and topical cream. Jessica at Food Bank's Community Kitchen & Food Pantry with her daughter. Jessica is just one of many New Yorkers fighting to make ends meet, not only for herself, but for her family. By supporting Food Bank's Woman to Woman campaign, you can help fill in the gaps for women like Jessica all across the five boroughs. Meet Jessica and hear her story below: In a city that never gives up on its people, we’re committed to delivering services and solutions that empower everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from. We want to change what's possible today so that the women and girls we proudly serve can take charge of their stories and chart new paths for the future. Join us in this work today and you can help us give for good. -
Ambassadors |
Kenan Thompson, Charlamagne tha God visit Food Bank
Published August 24, 2023 Earlier this week, we were thrilled to welcome fitness guru Isaac Boots, entertainment mogul Charlamagne tha God, and Saturday Night Live star...
Published August 24, 2023 Earlier this week, we were thrilled to welcome fitness guru Isaac Boots, entertainment mogul Charlamagne tha God, and Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson to our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in West Harlem! The trio chatted with Food Bank For New York City staff, learned about our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good, and even got to meet some of the community members we proudly serve. Learn more about their visit below! Isaac Boots packing food in Food Bank For New York City's Community Kitchen. Kenan arrived first, meeting Food Bank's Culinary Manager Sheri Jefferson and Community Kitchen Director Sultana Ocasio. The three discussed the ins and outs of service at our kitchen, providing both a brief overview of our mission and a tour of our facilities. Chef Sheri then presented Kenan with a box of her world-famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. Kenan Thompson receiving a box of homemade cookies from Chef Sheri. After introductions were made, Kenan got to work serving lunch to our Food Bank seniors. They were as delighted to meet him as he was to meet them, and the beloved SNL star made a point to stop and chat with all those enjoying meal service that day. Kenan Thompson serving seniors at Food Bank For New York City's Community Kitchen. Afterwards, celebrity fitness trainer and humanitarian Isaac Boots came through with a group of his friends. They got to work immediately, heading to the kitchen to pack bags for senior meal service. Later, they participated in our pantry distribution, which serves hundreds of New Yorkers each day. Isaac himself struggled with food insecurity when he was younger, so was proud to give back to the community alongside his dear friends. "I’m here today to take care of the city I love because it took care of me," said Isaac of his experience serving with Food Bank. "Growing up on food stamps, I live a very different life now but I can never forget that. It's amazing to bring my friends here today and share our gratitude with all of you for everything you do for New York City." Isaac Boots serving at our daily pantry distribution. Near the end of the day, Charlamagne visited the kitchen to liaise with Food Bank staff and get a bird's eye view of our mission. Committed to using his platform for good, he wanted to learn more about what we do so that he could help us reach more and more New Yorkers. Charlamagne tha God posing with Food Bank Staff. A huge thanks to Isaac Boots, Charlamagne tha God, and Kenan Thompson for visiting our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in West Harlem. We look forward to seeing you again and know our neighbors loved meeting you! See how you can make a difference like Isaac, Charlamagne, and Kenan by checking out our current volunteer opportunities at https://volunteer.foodbanknyc.org/. -
Food Insecurity |
Taking a Firm Stance Against Hunger
Food Bank For New York City is proud to announce that our 2023 Justice Served campaign has officially come to an end. A huge thanks to our friends in NYC's legal...
Food Bank For New York City is proud to announce that our 2023 Justice Served campaign has officially come to an end. A huge thanks to our friends in NYC's legal community for mobilizing their resources and networks to help support our mission to feed and nourish all New Yorkers. Take a peek at the infographic below to see the impact we made together for our neighbors across the five boroughs: Justice Served is an effort led by New York City’s legal community to close the meal gap in our great city. By donating funds and volunteering, firms and employees help Food Bank For New York City distribute more meals to our neighbors in need. To learn more about the campaign (and see how YOU and your team can get involved), click this link. -
Food Insecurity |
Finding Hope at the Girls Club
Food Bank For New York City launched Woman to Woman in 2016 with chef, author, and Food Bank Board Member Katie Lee Biegel. The award-winning campaign raises critical...
Food Bank For New York City launched Woman to Woman in 2016 with chef, author, and Food Bank Board Member Katie Lee Biegel. The award-winning campaign raises critical funds to assemble and distribute hygiene kits packed with pads, tampons, panty liners, diapers, deodorant, and soap to women and girls facing poverty in New York City. But what do these New Yorkers look like? Well, for 2023, we wanted to put a face to the initiative by featuring some of these women and girls in a public awareness campaign that will run online and across the streets of NYC from now until April 30. One of the participants, Felicia, visited set with her daughter, and the dynamic duo lit up the room with their enthusiasm, warmth, and zest for life. We spoke with Felicia to learn more about her story and how finding her way to the Lower Eastside Girls Club (a Food Bank member agency serving girls in downtown Manhattan) was a saving grace for her and her daughter. Read the full interview below! Felicia (left) and her daughter in one of our Woman to Woman ads. So, to start, are you a native New Yorker? I was actually born in Charleston, South Carolina to two wonderful parents. I come from a family that served in the Military on my father’s side and, on my mother’s side, I come from a line of great cooks, seamstresses, and builders. I moved to New York City with my mom when I was five. She was a single mother then and we moved into Brooklyn. I hear you’re connected to the Lower Eastside Girls Club... how long have you been going there? I’ve been married twice, and we got to know the Girls Club when my daughter and I were living in a shelter three years ago. I asked God to send a mentor to help my daughter through this really tough time separating from her father, I was going through so many different emotions. And little did I know that there was a safe haven right around the corner from us... the Girls Club. Finding the Girls Club helped my daughter get her self-esteem back. She found love with the women there, the mentors and friends she found there, who provided her with information and resources. I wanted to say goodbye to the world at the time, but the Girls Club gave me and my daughter hope. She made friends and had her mind and spirit exposed to all different sorts of activities. My daughter is an artist by nature, so she loves all of the art classes she can take. The Girls Club is just one of the best things that has ever happened to us Felicia (left) and her daughter at our Woman to Woman shoot. What made you want to join our Woman to Woman photo shoot? Personal hygiene is all about self-love and respect. As a woman, it’s very important. I remember when I was young... I was living with my aunt and her three daughters who were all around the same age. Believe you me, we did not always have access to period products in our home. Sometimes we had to use toilet paper, and if we didn’t have that, we used a cloth. It was debilitating and embarrassing. When you don’t have these products, you can’t go to school or even go outside. You just keep it quiet as can be. Throughout my life, when I haven’t been able to afford these products, it’s been humiliating and devastating. And so one of the things I love about the Girls Club is that when I went into their bathroom for the first time, I saw all the products there – the tampons, the cute little packages you could put in your purse. This is how you show love, care, and awareness. Some girls may not have this in their house because the items are so expensive! Astronomically expensive! I’m a home health attendant and I have to go buy diapers and pads for my clients and I’m like, whoa! Who can afford these things? I remember growing up, I would usually get my tampons at school and not from home because my mom didn’t have the money or she would forget. It’s important to have these things in public spaces because people need them, and so they should be available. In 2023, we should not be embarrassed about this anymore. What hopes do you have for your daughter? My hope is that she really loves herself. Self-love, self-awareness is so important. I want the best for all of my kids and I’m behind them, no matter what they want to be. If you want to be a dancer, a designer, an artist, be the best that you can be. I worry that I don’t always have enough money or time to help push my daughter, but that’s why I rely on groups and programming to help fill in the gaps. I hope that she will be confident to fulfill her goals and know that her mother and her sister are behind her 100 percent. I want her to wake up and enjoy every day with peace and solitude and community around her. A huge thanks to Felicia for speaking with us and to all the women who joined us at our photo shoot! For more on our Woman to Woman campaign (and to see how YOU can help us provide thousands of hygiene kits to our neighbors across the five boroughs) click this link.
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