In the wake of the tragic murder of George Floyd, I’ve found myself struggling with how to help, how to support, how to be a part of the solution. The truth is that nothing I do on my own will be enough, because I am just one person. But that won’t stop me from trying.
You all know that my greatest love in this world is food, and I’ve come to realize how much of a privilege that is. I play with my food – it is a toy, a joy, a passion. There are millions of Americans who would give an arm to experience that same luxury, let alone just knowing they get a hot meal every day.
Think about what happens when you get hungry, when you’ve skipped lunch and suddenly the hanger sets in and you can’t see straight. You lash out, you are cranky, and nothing else matters but getting something to eat. Now imagine that being your constant, a feeling you have every day because food isn’t readily available.
It’s no secret that most of our low-income and underserved populations in this country are marginalized groups, especially Black folks. It’s also no secret that when people are fighting poverty, food insecurity, and a broken system, they’ll turn to whatever means necessary to take care of themselves and their families subjecting them to harsh and unjust punishment by our faulty means of authority.
Food shouldn’t be a privilege, it’s a natural human requirement. We need nutrition to take care of the other parts of our lives as humans, as American citizens.
So I’ve put together a few resources for us, the privileged, to support and assist our neighbors and friends. These places do incredible work to ease the struggle that so many of our communities face every day, and it’s important that we do our part.
I’ve focused on New York because that is where I consider home, and it’s also a city that has a long history of abusing and disregarding the health and welfare of lower income communities. There are some other resources in this list to help you find places to give if you aren’t in NYC.
New York Common Pantry
New York Common Pantry not only serves as a food bank but also provides necessary life resources for homeless and underserved individuals. They are a mailing address for those who don’t have one, case managers for those living with food insecurity, financial counseling, and even a SNAP application center. Their organization truly takes care of their communities and anyone who needs help. Check their website for ways to volunteer and donate.
The Bowery Mission
The Bowery Mission is one of New York City’s oldest soup kitchens and through the years, has served millions of homeless New Yorkers. Not only do they provide hot meals and food pantries, but they provide transitional housing, career counseling, financial guidance, and even vocational training. Donating to the Bowery provides over 550,000 hot meals, 140,000 nights of shelter, and 100,000 articles of clothing every year.
City Harvest
City Harvest helped to start the “food rescue movement” in the 1980s, one that picks up, or “rescues,” perfectly good, delicious food from all over New York City to donate to those who need it. This year alone, they’ll rescue over 70 million pounds of food and donate it to shelters, food banks, and food pantries throughout the city to help feed the 1.2 million New Yorkers who are hungry. You can donate money which helps support their fleet of trucks and staff, or you can do a food drive of your own.
Food Bank for NYC
Food Bank for New York City works to end hunger in the five boroughs by not only providing food but also education, resources, and assistance to those who need it. They help low-income communities throughout the city put food on their tables so they can focus on greater independence in their lives. You can donate dollars or food but make sure you check their list of requested items so you can provide the most impact.
Feeding America
Feeding America is an incredible national organization that works every day to feed our underserved populations. They’ve reported that in 2018, over 14 million Americans were food insecure, meaning they didn’t know where their next meal would come from on a regular basis. Feeding America has a national listing so they can help you find the nearest food bank in your area.
Look in your pantry, look in your mirror. See what you have and recognize that there are people you meet every single day who will never know what that life is like. Does this solve systemic racism? No. But it’s a small step that every single one of us can take to do more to help each other.
