New York’s Largest Food Rescue Organization and Private Response to Hunger will Continue to Distribute Food to Thousands of New Yorkers in Need Throughout the Week

As New York City public schools close, City Harvest, the city’s private response to hunger and largest food rescue organization, is stepping up to rescue and deliver more food to meet the growing need in communities affected by COVID-19 and ensure all children and their families have food during this time.

One in five children in New York City don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and many rely on free school breakfasts and lunches as their only source of healthy meals. With schools now closing, many may lose access to those meals, and with reports of soup kitchens and food pantries in the city closing due to health concerns, and supermarkets struggling to keep their shelves stocked, families are facing greater challenges affording food. As a result, City Harvest is adjusting operations to ensure everyone in our city has the food they need, while also practicing social distancing.

This week, City Harvest is running Mobile Markets in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, Astoria, Queens, and the North Shore of Staten Island to distribute 57,000 pounds of food to more than 1,100 households in these communities. All of the food will be pre-packed prior to each distribution so that attendees can safely and quickly pick up the food they need.

City Harvest is also running multiple repacks this week at our Food Rescue Facility in Long Island City, Queens to pack 100,000 pounds of shelf-stable food and fresh produce, which will be distributed to soup kitchens, food pantries, and at our Mobile Markets to help feed families across the city.

About City Harvest

City Harvest is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the more than 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. We will rescue 66 million pounds of food this year and deliver it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens and other community partners across the five boroughs. Our programs help food-insecure New Yorkers access nutritious food that fits their needs and desires; increase our partners’ capacity; and strengthen the local food system, building a path to a food-secure future for all New Yorkers. To learn more about our work, visit CityHarvest.org