A Commitment to Community
Hands down, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. My whole life I’ve watched it be a time when my family’s best cooks fretted over who cooks what and how much to prepare. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving causes anxiety in many homes for very different reasons. This American holiday is about food and that fact is heavy for families who simply cannot afford it. Across the city I watch the managers of our food pantries and kitchens share that anxiety. The constantly rising cost of food impacts their ability to serve the struggling families on their lines—on Thanksgiving Day and every day. Despite the obstacles, they push forward…doing all they can to help these families put food on the table. The power of resilience in service to others is displayed by our member charities daily, and Food Bank is grateful to be allowed to support them.
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Advocacy + Action = Change
As we enter a big election year, it's important that we raise our voices and continue to remind our leaders in Washington not to play politics with people's ability to afford food. Our members did just that when they boarded the bus with us to our nation’s capital to advocate on behalf of those we serve. I thank them for making their voices heard. Real change requires active participation from the anti-hunger community. I hope to see an even larger percentage of our members actively engage in using their voice to help move people off the line. One great place to start is at our upcoming Legislative Breakfast on November 23, where we will be presenting the Freedom From Want Award to Commissioner Steven Banks of the New York City Human Resources Administration. For more ways to get involved, click here.
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Highlighting a Hidden Reality
It was 2002 when a wise community advocate named Doreen Wohl brought to my attention the importance of never saying "the hungry." She reminded me of the importance of intentional language when serving and leading in our space. The real lesson of that moment was to never forget that we serve PEOPLE whose lives are complex, interesting and as important as our own. Fast forward to today as Food Bank friend and photojournalist Joey O’Loughlin advances our stance with a never-before-seen intimate look into the homes and charities we serve. Joey was welcomed into people's homes and the photos are powerful, revealing sides that none of us ever see. I’m so proud that this collection of incredibly moving and insightful images, Hidden in Plain Sight: Portraits of Hunger in NYC, will be exhibited at the Brooklyn Historical Society beginning November 5.
Photo: Joey O'Loughlin
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Charity Beginning at OUR Home
The South Bronx is home to Food Bank’s 90,000 square foot distribution center, as well as the hub for most of the food eaten by most New Yorkers in our city. Nevertheless, for the last few years the families who live in the Hunts Point community didn’t have access to emergency food…until NOW. I’m so proud to re-welcome Bright Temple AME to our shared anti-hunger community—the ONLY site serving this very needy community. It was my great pleasure to bring several Food Bank donors to visit Bright Temple AME and their hardworking volunteers. Everyone was moved by the powerful story that lack of access tells, and the opportunity to make a real change that it provides. Every time our citywide network comes together to share our stories, we get another chance to engage a New Yorker in a solution. Thank you to everyone who joined us on the tour and to Bright Temple AME for being so welcoming. Your neighbors are blessed to have you back in the fight.
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