Finding Hope at the Girls Club

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.

Food Bank For New York City is proud to once again be the official charity partner of the SHAPE + Health Women’s Half-Marathon, the largest women’s-only half-marathon in the United States. As thousands of women gather to run the Central Park Loop on April 30, Food Bank will be on the ground raising awareness about our "Woman to Woman" campaign, which serves the estimated 1 million women and girls facing poverty in NYC. We'll also be running with our very own Food Bank team! Ahead of race day, we decided to chat with a few of our runners to learn about why they decided to team up with Food Bank. Read the conversation below! What inspired you to join the Food Bank running team? Emily Feigelman, Food Bank Donor Relations Coordinator: I'm incredibly grateful and extremely lucky to be able to work for Food Bank For New York City, and I love that Food Bank is the official charity partner of the SHAPE + Health Women's Half Marathon for the second year in a row. I signed up to participate because I love running and I love Food Bank! I'm also concurrently running a fundraiser for Food Bank based on the number of miles I'm running, and I'm thrilled that I can engage my extended network in our community and our mission. Taylor Edwards: What empowered me was the fact that we are running for a great cause. We are not just running a half marathon; we are running for the purpose of helping humanity. I’ve become more consciously aware of the food shortage here and around the globe since COVID, young girls like me not having healthy food to eat daily. There are a lot of young girls and women who are not living in good conditions, I would like to give them an opportunity for a better life. Madison Rupert: I've dedicated my professional life to helping mission-driven organizations change the world - and have been a huge fan of the Food Bank for many years. I wanted to get involved initially as a team member, but when the job listing closed, I came across this running opportunity and couldn't pass it up. Thus, my flight was booked and tight 4-week training regime began to join the team in Central Park for this incredible event. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to channel my passion for serving underserved populations professionally, and love for running personally, into a goal to serve the common good. Alessandra Simkin, Food Bank Junior Board Member: As long as people are facing food insecurity, I am ready to do what I can – big and small – to raise awareness. Joining the team gave me the opportunity to fundraise to support the Woman to Woman campaign. I’m grateful to all the people that have contributed and for the fact that I can do this. Thank you so much to everyone who is supporting me and this amazing campaign. A Woman to Woman hygiene kit packed with period products and hygiene essentials. How do you overcome challenges? Kimberly Ingram: I overcome challenges with a lot of prayer and self reflection, seeing where I can make changes in myself to contribute to whatever the issue is for the better. Alison West: A can-do attitude helps! I love a challenge! Hard work and perseverance are key. Madison: Overcoming any challenge starts with the belief "I can, and I will." My personal mantra has empowered me to overcome barriers of self-doubt and fight through the "pain cave" of running (and of life) to reach my fullest potential so I may help others reach theirs. What does community mean to you? Emily: Community means being positively involved and engaged in places you live, work, and enjoy. It's about advocating for, building relationships with, and redistributing resources to your neighbors, friends, family, and colleagues. It's about giving back and giving forward. To me, that looks like being a supporting member of a powerful, capable, and sincere team at my job, volunteering at my local Food Bank Member Agency soup kitchen and at my co-op grocery store, spending quality time, in person and virtually, with my roommates and my family, and financially supporting restaurants and businesses in my neighborhood. Taylor: My community is a space where I can grow, reflect, and share experiences with others who may or may not look like me, but at the end of the day, are still all part of something in some way. Alison: Essentially, it’s a feeling of home. And to me, I want to join those in the community to make things better, and for it to feel like “home” to those joining me in the community. Working together for a purpose! Meet Felicia and her daughter, who joined us at our Woman to Woman ad-campaign photo shoot. There are currently 1 million women and girls living in poverty right here in New York City. How can we stand up to support them? Alessandra: As a mother, a woman, and a New Yorker, it’s all about getting involved to lift up all women. I love New York and when women thrive, our city thrives. That’s why I’m doing this run, and why my commitment will continue on after it’s all over. Madison: Radical change doesn't just happen -- it is called to action by courageous people who force our leaders to recognize the millions of women and children who are denied the human right to housing and hunger-free lives. Public events, advocacy, and demanding systems change starts with us. This run is a great way to remind our elected leaders of the importance of investing in all walks of life that make NYC the beautiful treasure-trove of diversity that it is. Kimberly: I think it's all about helping to meet people’s immediate needs, be it housing or food, and then taking it further with education, so someone in need has a way to improve their way of life. We are beyond grateful for all of the amazing runners who will be repping Food Bank at this month's SHAPE + Health Women's Half Marathon! To learn more about the big day (and Food Bank's Woman to Woman campaign) click this link. And if you're running in the race, make sure to stop by the Race Day Festival to say hello!

Food Bank For New York City is proud to be the charity partner of this year's SHAPE + Health Women’s Half-Marathon, the largest women’s-only half-marathon in the United States. As thousands of women gather to run the Central Park Loop, Food Bank will be using the space to advocate for our "Woman to Woman" campaign, which serves the estimated 1 million women and girls facing poverty in NYC. To help spread the word about this important cause, we've assembled a Food Bank running team packed with some pretty amazing women. Ahead of race day, we thought it'd be fun to connect with our runners and learn a little bit more about why they decided to team up with Food Bank. Read the conversation below! What motivated you to sign up for the women's half-marathon? Latoya Shauntay Snell, host of the "Running Fat Chef" podcast: I signed up for the SHAPE+ Women's Half Marathon and 5.8 Miler because it feels powerful to run alongside other women. We are amazing, resilient, and capable of doing hard things. To be alongside other amazing athletes from different walks of life and moving for their own reasons means a lot to me. Alessandra Simkin, Food Bank Junior Board Member: I am recovering from a pelvic injury that started when I was pregnant three years ago. In the weeks leading up to my due date, I had trouble walking a few city blocks. Even though it took years to start to feel better, the fact that I can even consider running the 5.8 mile Central Park Loop is amazing. When some of my peers on the Junior Board signed up to do it, I decided to join them to honor my own journey and to celebrate the strength and resilience of our bodies. Alexis Teixeira, Food Bank Junior Board Member: I'm game to do close to anything to help support and raise awareness for Food Bank! This specific race happens to be the intersection of many of my passions: amplifying Food Bank, supporting female-focused initiatives, and running in Central Park. Tell us a little bit about your partnership with Food Bank. What inspired you to join our mission to fight hunger for all New Yorkers? Ashley Anderson, Food Bank Junior Board Member: I am so honored to serve on the Food Bank Junior Board. I've had longtime interests in food and supporting women. When I learned about Food Bank's "Woman to Woman" campaign and how Food Bank doesn't just provide food, but also period products, baby essentials, and basic hygiene items, I was inspired to combine my two interests and find a way to get involved. Latoya: My partnership with Food Bank speaks volumes to me. Despite my parents trying their best to ensure that we had all of the essentials we needed growing up, there were some days where I questioned if and when our next meal would come in. Sometimes, we can only see the extremities of poverty and can only visualize a person living on the streets as a person going through food insecurity. Being able to eat without fear of wondering where your next meal is coming from is a human right and shouldn't be viewed as a privilege. We are better people when we don't have to stress about the bare essentials. Olivia Briffault, Food Bank Junior Board Member: I've lived in New York my whole life and have grown up around and with stories of people who can't even afford to put food on the table each day. In my high school, some kids couldn't afford the $2 cafeteria meal plan after commuting 40+ minutes to get to school. Now that I am in a position to help, I want to make sure that every child has the opportunity to eat a full meal and that no parent has to worry about either feeding their child or feeding themselves. How can everyday New Yorkers stand up for the estimated 1 million women and girls facing poverty across the five boroughs? Alessandra: Going through changes as a woman is challenging, and it’s that much more challenging without access to basic essentials like period and hygiene products, diapers, wipes, and more. When it comes down to it, these products are just as important as food, and it’s amazing that the Food Bank provides opportunities for New Yorkers to get involved to ensure women and girls across NYC have access to these essential items. Stepping up to help is as easy as making a donation, starting a fundraiser, or checking out Food Bank’s wish lists. Alexis: Given that over half of all emergency food program participants in NYC are women, this is a critical issue we have an opportunity to make better. Fundraising and donating to Food Bank’s “Women to Woman” campaign is easy and incredibly helpful. If folks are looking for a more tangible way to have an impact, Food Bank has created an amazing resource to enable purchases of personal care products through Amazon here. And finally, what is something you wish people knew about hunger here in New York City? Latoya: I wish more New Yorkers knew how much food waste we contribute to on a daily basis. The amount of food that we regularly toss out could end hunger for a great portion of the population. I ask people to be mindful of how we use it and make it available for the next person. Ashley: I wish people knew how many women and girls face poverty right now in NYC, and how many are forced to choose between putting food on the table and buying period products. A lack of access to period products has a ripple effect, affecting health, school attendance, confidence, and so much more. Olivia: During the pandemic, an estimated 1 in 4 New York City children faced food insecurity. If kids can't eat, how are they supposed to succeed in school, build the skills they need for the future, or even just enjoy time with their friends? We are beyond grateful for all of the amazing runners who will be repping Food Bank at this month's SHAPE + Health Women's Half Marathon (especially all of our awesome Food Bank Junior Board members). To learn more about the big day (and Food Bank's "Woman to Woman" campaign) click this link.