COVID-19 has hit NYC hard this year, with New Yorkers out of work and struggling to get food on the table.
This is especially impactful on Thanksgiving, Luckily, nonprofit City Harvest is delivering 175,000 pounds of frozen turkeys to soup kitchens, food pantries, & more across the five boroughs so all New Yorkers have the opportunity to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast this year!
This year amongst the pandemic, hunger has taken a toll on New York City and with the holidays nearing, the organization has been working non-stop for families struggling with food security “to ensure that those families receive the food they need to celebrate the holiday despite this year’s challenges,” said a recent press release.
This philanthropic organization helps feed over 1.5 million New Yorkers grappling to put food on the table and this year they are donating in record-breaking numbers.
They have gathered and delivered over 87 million pounds of food so far, with the goal of delivering a total of 118 million pounds of food by the end of this year. These numbers are already 63% greater than they were by this time last year.
For years City Harvest has been donating thousands of free frozen turkeys to those in need. Last year, City Harvest donated 12,000 turkeys and this year, they will deliver 30,000 more pounds of turkey than the year prior.
For this year’s annual week-long event, Repack to Give Back, City Harvest staff members packaged enormous amounts of holiday-themed meal packs including canned goods and produce to donate. In anticipation for Thanksgiving, 200,000 pounds of cranberry sauce, stuffing, green beans, and pumpkin puree were packed to be delivered to soup kitchens and food pantries across New York.
Throughout the year, City Harvest conducts their mobile markets all across the five boroughs. “Community members gather in farmers’ market settings, where they receive fresh produce and participate in cooking demonstrations to learn how to make healthy meals,” said their website.
Pedro Rodriguez from La Jornada NY Food Pantry said “we’re serving young families with children. They need to take home food to eat, so they come here. Thanks to City Harvest, we’re able to provide it.”
In other news: 65 Things New Yorkers Say They’re Most Thankful For This Year
featured image source: Courtesy City Harvest, Photo by Lori Cannava