Fight Hunger In UES During National Hunger Action Month

HARLEM, NY — For millions of families on the Upper East Side and other U.S. cities, a daily meal isn’t a choice between fast food or a home-cooked meal. Often, the choice is between a meal or paying rent. It’s sacrificing dinner for a life-saving medication or to keeping the electricity on at home.

September is National Hunger Action Month, a day set aside to encourage Americans to take a stand against hunger in their communities.

New York City is among those where residents struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food pantries and food banks.

Before the pandemic, more than 2 million people in New York were considered to be food insecure, according to Feeding America. The continuing economic fallout from the pandemic has increased that number by 3.8 percent.

While National Hunger Action Month falls in September, food insecurity is something you can combat any month of the year.

Here are five things you should know about National Hunger Action Month and how you can support those facing food insecurity on the Upper East Side:

Know The Facts About Hunger

Some people think hunger isn’t an issue in the United States. That simply isn’t true.

Eighteen months into the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are facing food insecurity, according to Feeding America. In fact, Feeding America estimates that as many as 42 million people — including 13 million children — could experience food insecurity in 2021. As a result, food banks nationwide have seen a nearly 55 percent increase in use.

Why are so many people facing food insecurity this year? The pandemic has disproportionately affected Americans working low-wage jobs throughout the United States. A low-wage job is defined as one where a worker makes $10.22 per hour or less.

In 2019, an estimated 53 million people qualified as low-wage workers, according to Feeding America. During the pandemic, nearly half of low-wage workers reported a job loss or reduced wages during the pandemic, forcing many to decide which expenses to cover and which to forgo.

Donate To A New York City Food Pantry

Food pantries and food banks have experienced a 55 percent spike in usage through the pandemic, according to the latest Feeding America data, erasing a decade’s worth of progress toward ending hunger in the United States.

Donating to a food pantry is simple. Food pantries accept any food that is “shelf-stable” or nonperishable — this means you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t go bad. It’s also a good rule of thumb to only donate food that hasn’t reached its “sell-by” date yet.

See a list of what to donate to food pantries and what to avoid.

Here are the nearest food pantries in New York City:

City Harvest
6 East 32nd Street, 5th Fl.
New York, NY 10016
646-412-0600

Food Bank for New York City
355 Food Center Dr.
New York, NY 10474
718-991-4300

Volunteer At A Food Bank Or Pantry

More than half of all food programs in the United States rely entirely on volunteers, according to Feeding America. While volunteering can look different depending on where you’re at, here’s a sampling of the jobs you might do:

• Keeping pantry shelves stocked and assembling food boxes for pickup.
• Help with fundraising or raise awareness of food pantry services.
• Delivering meals or food boxes.
• Assist with distribution at drive-thru or mobile food pantries.

To volunteer in Midtown, check with any of the food pantries listed above.

Lobby Your Lawmakers

You can use your voice to advocate for those struggling with food insecurity. Federal food programs are a necessity in ending hunger — for every meal a food pantry provides, government food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide nine.
Organizations like Feeding America make it easy to reach out to your lawmakers using these contact forms.

Feeding America serves 200 member food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs around the country.

FIND FOOD
Find your local food bank

DONATE
Make a donation to Feeding America*

READ
"The Impact of Coronavirus On Food Insecurity"

ACT
Take action against hunger

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, more than 42 million Americans won’t have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations.* Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.