By Margarette Purvis,

Spring is one of my favorite times of year. You may be assuming I picked it for warmer weather and new flowers. Nevertheless the REAL REASON is all about March Madness. I’m never pulling for any one particular team — it’s more about the energy of it all. There’s something about all of that hope and ambition running up and down the floor, being shouted at televisions in bars and living rooms and jotted down on flimsy sheets of scratched-over brackets in offices near and far. For me, it feels like seasonal theater and I LOVE IT. Professional basketball is great but I often feel like those players are operating in occupation while the collegiate athlete gives you a view of a full on passionate pursuit of a dream. You may even get a few tears from one or both teams depending on the game’s conclusion.

I’m sure some people count the tricks and major demonstrations of athleticism associated with these games as their fave. I will readily admit that my favorite feature is a bit odd. I actually love to see THE HUDDLE. Sometimes they meet for inspiration and connection and sometimes they meet for instruction. Whether professional or collegiate, there will be a HUDDLE and I think it says the most about any team. I’m always looking for that opportunity to watch a team complete a drill every day in practice and place it squarely in the middle of their road to national championship. I wonder, “what is the coach saying right now? Is she yelling it? Stating directions calmly? Is the captain leading in this moment or has a lesser known player stepped up with exactly what the team needs at this time?”

When I was actively assisting organizations in my consulting business, the presence of HUDDLEs took on an inspired meaning. Whether in times of ‘great’ or ‘ick’, you could always find a HUDDLE. My time spent working with groups all over the country taught me that different people will always have different reactions to change. I learned to see the very specific variations in the make, type and nature of their HUDDLEs. In some situations you would get lucky and see some team member connect with the OPPORTUNITY change brings. They would take nuggets of conversations with leadership and make themselves over. They would attack their work with a renewed conviction in hopes of being noticed as a star, or to acknowledge that change was exactly what they hoped for and they wouldn’t waste a minute of it.

Unfortunately, they weren’t always the majority. Over years, I would notice that more people than not, would find themselves HUDDLEd in small uninformed groups, predicting plays that could be accurate if anyone cared to read the playbook. They would find themselves gaining “emotional” weight from their one sided diet composed of rumors, perceived victimization, innuendo and fact manipulation. In a five year stint I would often wonder if these folks realized that anyone HUDDLEd around topics that would not put points on the board via their focus on mission, purpose and future… was most certainly headed for failure. My heart would break watching people so busy gripping the tainted air mask handed to them by a Chief Naysayer that they would completely miss the free air, made readily available to them through the simple CHOICE to take a breath.  

HUDDLES provide the participants with a sense of belonging. That’s why it’s great that in our hectic lives we’re gifted each day with a choice to either HUDDLE around a) what builds US towards a life and world we desire or b) what builds UPON a LIE we’ve been handed. Do we HUDDLE about being an active member of change or waste time HUDDLING over how we THINK change will dismember our world? In 6 months at the Food Bank I’ve had a chance to see some amazing HUDDLING throughout our membership network. POTS, a member in the Bronx, found a way to get a major donor to HUDDLE around a 10 year vision for a new space…and now it’s a reality. In Washington Heights Love Kitchen HUDDLED with their volunteers until a new social enterprise was baking inside of their once struggling soup kitchen. In Bed Stuy we’ve all watched how a food desert has now emerged as the home of some of the city’s best urban farms all because a few activists HUDDLED around limited resources to make it happen.

Every day I imagine a new future for the Food Bank, our members and our community services. I am not afraid to imagine because I know that this vision will be shared (and made a reality) by the dedicated team members who have and will continue to show up for our good.
 

By Lydia Smith,

Food Bank For New York City had a number of exciting achievements in 2011. One of the biggest is that we are now able to procure food in bulk, before it is packaged into individual containers suitable for supermarket shelves, helping the Food Bank to significantly stretch our purchasing power.

Purchasing in bulk is now one of the major ways we are able to keep costs down on nutritious food. However, processing large food containers safely in our warehouse so they are ready for distribution was a big hurdle that took months of planning to pass. The project that allowed us to process bulk containers was the construction of a new high-tech repack room in our Bronx warehouse, where teams of volunteers repackage food into container sizes suitable for delivery to soup kitchens and food pantries.

Corporate and community volunteer groups assist in packing boxes for distribution to approximately 1,000 community-based programs; Top: Deutsche Bank; Bottom: BNP Paribas

Like most major projects, no matter the field, this one began with an extensive round of research. The Food Bank first turned to Feeding America’s national network of food banks, traveling to food banks around the country to assess different approaches to dealing with the safety requirements for working with open (bulk) product. We then turned to a veteran in the industry, Bob Matlosz, former Greater Chicago Food Depository Operations Director, for further assistance and hired Rogers Marvel Architects, an architecture firm familiar with the food bank network, to design the space within our active 90,000 square foot warehouse.

The piece of this project that I am most proud of is the fact that we kept our food distribution process safe and up-to-code throughout the entire construction process. We knew that, in order to best serve our network, we could not interrupt food deliveries to network in any way for any amount of time, even while working toward developments that would increase our supply of food.

Now that construction is complete, not only is our purchasing power greater — our volunteers also have a more rewarding experience.  We couldn’t have done any of this without knowing our volunteers, who make up a key part of the distribution process, would be there to make this possible.

Thanks to this dream combination of passionate volunteers and facilities that meet the strictest of food safety codes, our network will be able to fill more shelves and plates for New Yorkers who struggle to afford food. 

The Food Bank is already scheduling thousands of purchases that will require repacking before being distributed to our food assistance network. If you have a group of 10 to 30 people who are interested in volunteering at our new Repack Room, please fill out our online volunteer application today.

Lydia Smith is Director of Operations at the Food Bank.

By David McCoy, 

In the fight to end hunger in New York City, the Food Bank has amazing resources — more than 100 staff with expertise ranging from public policy to elementary-school education, high-profile ambassadors like Mario Batali who help raise funds and awareness and supporters like you who donate, volunteer and advocate. Right now, nearly three million New Yorkers struggle to afford food, and our citywide network is one of our greatest resources, fighting hunger on the front lines everyday in soup kitchens, food pantries, senior centers, after-school programs and more.

Our network’s boots on the ground and frontline insight may be one of the best ways to truly affect change and eradicate hunger from our great city. The Food Bank network is a collaboration, to lift every voice, to hear every story, to use our knowledge to help families survive.

Food Bank President and CEO Margarette Purvis with Anita Fein of Food Bank network member St. Edward Food Pantry at our 2012 Annual Agency Conference

This idea, this direction to lift every voice, is championed by our new President and CEO, Margarette Purvis, and was first articulated at Food Bank’s 20th Annual Agency Conference. More than 500 network members and anti-hunger advocates rallied behind the importance of collaboration in service, how we must view our roles as providers differently, that we must be more strategic about our actions and that the Food Bank will be there to help ensure everyone is heard.

This vision will not only help sustain the work we do, but will advance it in new, innovate and responsive ways. When we all lift our voices to combat hunger, the potential for achieving change is incredible. Stay tuned to our blog to learn about achievements of our collaborative approach but, in the meantime, won't you raise your voice too? Share this post on Facebook and tweet your support!
 

By Ashley Goforth, 

The Bronx is home to many great things — a world class botanical garden and zoo, Arthur Avenue and the New York Yankees. But the Bronx is also one of the poorest regions in the country — according to Food Bank research, 50 percent of Bronx residents struggle to afford food.

So when the Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development (MWIRD) reached out to the Food Bank after experiencing a loss of nearly 70 percent of their funding, the Food BAnk knew something had to be done.

With their Benedict Avenue and Highbridge food pantries in the South Bronx, the Institute is a beacon of hope within the the country’s poorest Congressional district. Run by Executive Director Nurah Amat’ullah and four additional paid staff — MWIRD relies heavily on the support of volunteers and donors to keep their doors open and services running smooth. The organization was originally established 14 years ago to serve the Muslim population, but has since grown to serve a diverse population that was in great need of support.

Even though the MWIRD team worked without salaries for six months, they still found themselves facing more than $48,000 in debt. With few options left, they reached out to the media for help in hopes of raising awareness and funds to preserve their organization. An article written in the Daily News brought success that far exceeded our wildest expectation. After reading the article and hearing about the plight of an organization that serves and is depended on by so many, the Collegiate Church Corporation offered MWIRD a grant large enough to cover their debt, pay their staff and even save for the future.

The Food Bank is heartened by many parts of this story — the power of media to inspire, the dedication of our network members, that MWIRD is safe and continues to serve the South Bronx. And there is one more part that I am personally heartened by: in addition to its great teams, attractions and food, more people now know about the great people who sacrifice in order to help the Bronx.

By Margarette Purvis,

Last night I witnessed the close of my second full month as the Food Bank’s new CEO. I’ve learned many things that only a 60 day journey could teach and I plan to use them all. I learned that when my assistant asks me to repeat something with a lifted eyebrow she’s really saying, “I don’t think you should do that and I’m probably going to secretly change it for your own good.” In the midst of reorganizing programs and teams, I’ve learned that even when changing for the better, change is change and it just scares the socks off of most people…even the really talented and committed ones. 

So, here I am dragging around my newfound lessons and being told by staff that I have YET ANOTHER meeting to attend. For the record, I truly LOVE THIS JOB. I love the organization. I love our mission. Heck, I even love my eyebrow-lifting assistant. However, the pace coupled with back-to-back meetings, interviews and vision setting can often make a girl DREAM of a nap on the sofa. So the thought of yet another meeting requiring a trip on the subway was not EXACTLY how I saw myself spending a Wednesday night.

Nevertheless as a trooper, I gathered my things and applied a bit more lip gloss and went about my merry way. Was I dragging a bit behind my team? Maybe. I was tired and it was late and cold. When we entered the elevator our team’s fundraising guru suddenly started giving me some last minute stats on philanthropy. I gave her my raised eyebrow look that means, "I kinda want to kick you but since you’re doing your job…I get that that would be wrong." When the doors opened we left the elevator to walk to the apartment of the host of our meeting..and THERE IT WAS. Right outside the apartment door was a clothes rack and pile of shoes. My first thought: “Dear Lord, this is a no shoes zone.” I will admit that a mild panic shot through us all. For me, it’s been about five years since I’ve been a part of this particular NY phenomenon. Note to Non- NY’ers: No shoe zones are one measure used by NY’ers to keep a healthy home since NY is a heavy pedestrian city. However for another team member it was shocking for another reason: she had holes in her socks! Once we gathered ourselves from the exhausting laughter that this moment caused, I passed my socks to her and again, away we went.

Inside the apartment were new faces from varying careers and backgrounds all excited about our upcoming Gala. I will admit that while I expected YET ANOTHER meeting about a business event, I was pleasantly surprised to find something VERY DIFFERENT. Inside the apartment were varying types of New Yorkers discussing a shared passion for a single mission…all while wearing socks. So in less than 60 minutes, a retired banker, a voice-over star, a talent agent, a tech guru, a past user of emergency services and a new mom provided my team and me with a little “end of the day jolt.” You see in the business of philanthropy, you work tirelessly at HOPING you’re making a connection to supporters. Last night, I was blessed by a clear message that said, "not only are people connecting to our mission…they SHARE IT and happily Join us in trying to meet it."

So just like that…a long night turns into a great night and a long “to do” list transforms into a pretty exciting walk (in a really BIG) park. So thank you to last night’s hosts. We’re now considering ending all sayings about “rolling up our sleeves” in exchange for plans to TAKE OFF OUR SHOES! You’ve coined a new custom in our shared village and apparently, it works…REALLY WELL.
 

By Matthew Rebholz, FedEx Senior Communications Specialist,

FedEx team members are gathering today to kick off a $2 for $1 matching fundraiser to support the Food Bank For New York City’s Community Kitchen & Food Pantry in Harlem. This year, the Community Kitchen lost nearly half of its annual budget because of reallocations in state funding. 

Inspired by the Community Kitchen’s daily efforts to provide nutritious food for low-income New Yorkers in the face of a reduced budget, FedEx is aiming to raise $5,000 through our Virtual Food Drive page. On this page, you can make a difference by shopping through five aisles of food items — many of which are commonly served at the Kitchen.

And remember, FedEx will donate $2 for every $1 you give through our Virtual Food Drive — so help us hit our goal by October 26 and triple your impact on hunger in New York City!

As a longtime Food Bank partner, FedEx is thrilled to leverage its support of the Food Bank to help turn $5,000 in individual donations into $15,000 — which can provide 75,000 meals at the Community Kitchen. But if we’re going to hit that goal, we need your help. So, please, donate today and pass the word on!

By Josh Wessler,

This week, in a joint venture with the Mario Batali Foundation, the Food Bank is launching an exciting new nutrition and health education program, Community CookShop, at food pantries and soup kitchens across the city.

The Community CookShop pilot program breaks new ground for the Food Bank. For the first time, our nutrition workshops will pair parents and caregivers with their children to learn and cook together. Also a first, the workshops will be available at several of our member programs — food pantries and soup kitchens — in all five boroughs. And finally, it is our first time partnering with the Mario Batali Foundation.

The Food Bank and the Mario Batali Foundation share a belief in the power of hands-on learning to equip families for a healthier future. Based on that belief, Community CookShop engages whole families in practicing strategies to get the most food at the best quality for the lowest cost. Community CookShop is modeled on the Food Bank’s successful CookShop program, the largest provider of nutrition education in New York City public schools. Like CookShop, the new Community program will use hands-on activities to enhance participants’ skills for maximizing their food budgets, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preparing tasty recipes.

All recipes for Community CookShop have been crafted by internationally-renowned chef, author and restaurateur, Mario Batali, who is also a dedicated member of Food Bank’s Board of Directors, the chair of our Culinary Council and an active proponent of child nutrition. All of Mario's CookShop recipes use nutritious, affordable ingredients that are available in local stores and food pantries throughout the city.

"Having been on the board and working with Food Bank for over 10 years, I feel honored and privileged to partner with them on this important step towards improving nutrition education,” said Mario Batali. “The Food Bank's strong ties in the community will undoubtedly make huge strides for many deserving families in NYC and hopefully help lead the way for the entire nation.”

Lucy Cabrera, President and CEO of the Food Bank, said, “We are thrilled to partner with the Mario Batali Foundation on this important nutrition initiative. Thanks to the Foundation’s generous support, we will now be reaching even more families, in their own communities, providing them with lifelong skills to create and sustain a healthier future.”

The Food Bank’s integrated services — food distribution, income support and nutrition education — help New York City families keep healthful food on the table through the toughest times.

Josh Wessler is CookShop Classroom Associate at the Food Bank. For more information about Community CookShop or to get involved, email cookshop@foodbanknyc.org.

Yesterday, the national radio personality Trey Morgan, known in New York City from his regular appearances on Z100, brought his 30 Deeds, 30 Days campaign to the Food Bank's Community Kitchen & Food Pantry of West Harlem. For this campaign, Trey is documenting his experiences visiting and volunteering for 30 different charities over September's 30 days and we were excited to welcome Trey to Harlem on the second day of his campaign. Read Trey's blog post below about his experience at the Community Kitchen, originally posted to his campaign blog, and don't forget to check out 30Deeds30Days.com for photos and a video of his experience with the Food Bank and more! 

Day Two of “30 Deeds, 30 Days” was spent at the Food Bank For New York City. What an eye-opening day! I arrived a little bit before 11am and there was a line of people waiting outside to go into the food pantry. Today was especially meaningful to me because growing up; my family had visited the local food bank in Texas. Also, I believe that no one should ever go hungry. The people I met today are simply amazing and I am honored to have been a guest and volunteer for such a remarkable organization.

I was greeted by Carol Schneider, Senior Media Relations Manager, who introduced us to German Tejeda, Senior Director, Tax Services, and then had a chance to sit down with Shanon Morris, Program Manager and Carlos M. Rodriguez, Vice President Agency Relations & Benefit Access. I got a tour of the Community Kitchen & Food Pantry. The kitchen looked like any kitchen you would find in a large restaurant. German was telling me that they have to keep their kitchen cleaner than any restaurant in the city because they have more regulations and more agencies monitoring the operation than a typical restaurant does.

Trey Morgan with Shannon Morris, Food Bank Program Manager, at the Community Kitchen & Food Pantry of West Harlem; visit 30Deeds30Days.com for more photos!

The food pantry was nothing like I expected. I thought it was going to be a room with pre-filled grocery bags and people would just walk up and take a bag and whatever it had in it was the food you were given. It was quite the opposite, actually. The food pantry was set up like a grocery store. Depending on the size of your family, you would get a laminated card with the amount of food you were eligible for. This system gives the “customers” some dignity and empowers them to make their own choices on what they eat. Maybe you don’t like garbanzo beans but love kidney beans, then you get a choice. It was wonderful to see how much the Food Bank For New York City cares about the nutritional content.

After the grand tour, I got the chance to stock shelves. Putting cases of canned beans, tuna and even fruit juice on the shelves. I know it sounds so simple and you might ask, “Why do they need a volunteer to do that?” Well, instead of paying someone $8 an hour to stock shelves, they can spend that money to pay the gas bill or to repair a leaky faucet.

I must admit; I was very impressed with how passionate and invested they are in their work towards ending what is called “food poverty.” Everyone at the Food Bank For New York City is motivated and on a mission.

As I mention in my video, I met with a family that has experienced terrible loss and has endured so many challenges. Challenges that to you or me are simply unimaginable, but somehow this couple has continued to stay positive and feel "blessed." I am blessed to know them. Food Bank For New York City has eagerly worked with them to get into a new shelter for the time being and they are diligently making sure they have enough food to eat. Not everyone who comes to the Food Bank For New York City is homeless, but in this family's situation, unfortunately they found themselves without.

So far in the last two days I’ve been fortunate enough to work with so many inspiring individuals and learn things about the organizations that I never knew about. One of the best parts has been gaining a new perspective on just what the organizations do. For instance, did you know that the Food Bank For New York City provides more than just food? Carol was kind enough to send me some really great information to share with you about the Food Bank For New York City. Take a look [on the 30 Days, 30 Deeds blog] and read about their amazing programs.

Let me know your thoughts. Send me an email and I would strongly encourage you to get involved with your local food bank. No one should ever go hungry.

Thank you for your support. Day three coming to you soon!

Check out the video from my day at Food Bank For New York City here.

-Trey

by Krystine Keeler

This past February, the Food Bank began a partnership with CUNY Prep — a New York City transitional high school that offers out-of-school youth an opportunity for full-time study for the purposes of re-entering high school or qualifying for admission to college by obtaining a GED. At the school, Science Teacher & Assistant to the Director for Green Education & Initiatives Edwin Alexander spends much of his time running an internship program, the purpose of which is to help CUNY Prep students enter the work force. This is where the Food Bank comes in.

Bianca Rodriguez, Student, CUNY Prep “I’m doing a volunteer internship at the Community Kitchen. Serving food here, I’ve learned to be more grateful for everything I have. It’s my first work experience too!”

By placing CUNY Prep interns at our Community Kitchen & Food Pantry of West Harlem, students are able to experience an environment where they can learn skills and habits that they will be able to take out into the working world. Securing a good career is part of the CUNY Prep mission, the internship program is a step in that direction.

To learn more about this great school and internship program, here is a short interview with Edwin Alexander:

What do you hope your interns will learn through their experiences at the Community Kitchen?
Our interns will learn to develop a positive work ethic and adhere to the principals which are present and ever so important to possess in the work place.

This is the second time you have had interns placed at the Community Kitchen. What were some of the reasons you chose to maintain your relationship with us?
The professionalism of the entire staff, the wonderful experiences in which my students have shared with me about the Food Bank For New York City and the constant conversations Ms. Keeler and I shared in regards to my interns’ work ethics, time sheets and professional opportunities.

What have your interns communicated to you about their Community Kitchen experiences that you believe they may not have gained had they not been interning?
My interns have communicated to me that they gained a better sense of self and appreciation for what they possess. Furthermore, they expressed how great it feels to work in the pantry and kitchen.

Part of your wish for your interns is that they learn to value and respect employment, with all of the risks and rewards inherent to having a job. Do you believe that they are learning to value employment and become responsible employees?
Yes, I do. I do also believe that they need more training and workshops on my end, which would stress the importance of a healthy work environment and positive work ethics. Furthermore, I believe that students need to continue to develop and work on being better employees.

by Ivory Smith

I am from Baltimore County, Maryland, so completing my internship in New York City was a big deal for me. I attend a small liberal arts college there. Here at the Food Bank, I am the Communications & Marketing Intern for the Marketing & Communications Department in the Downtown Manhattan office.

Hoda Kodb (NBC Today Show) at the Target Party for Good

Next May, I will be graduating with a degree in Visual Communications Design. Since starting college in 2007, I have been studying graphic design and I feel as though I have not had the opportunity to explore the communications side of my degree as in depth as the graphic design part, and I feel it is important for me to venture out and explore different career paths. When thinking about where to do my internship, I knew a few things: I wanted to be at a nonprofit working for a political or social cause, it had to be in New York City and, finally, it had to be in marketing or public relations.

Food Bank for New York City offered everything on my list — including a marketing and public relations experience. Ultimately, I chose the Food Bank because it exists to make a difference in the lives of others. Surely I could have spent my summer back home working in a coffee shop, but to make a difference and be a part of an important initiative —fighting hunger — was an opportunity I didn’t want to turn down. I do not know exactly what I will end up doing after graduation, but I know that I want to help people, and I am starting here.

I began my internship June 7 and have experienced a lot since. I have made updates to the website, fought with copy machines, logged media placements, organized the photo archive, posted blogs and more. I had the opportunity to be a part of the Target Party for Good and the NYC Food Film Festival. I also had a chance to visit the warehouse in Hunts Point, Bronx and volunteer at the Community Kitchen & Food Pantry of West Harlem. The great thing about being an intern here is that I was able to experience everything.

Since being here, I have really gotten a feel for what it is like working for a nonprofit organization. I have learned a lot about marketing, public relations and communications, and have built an understanding of the role the media plays in all of these areas. Most importantly, I was able to join the fight to stop hunger. My time at the Food Bank will help me make decisions as I go through my final semesters at Stevenson University. Hopefully I will be able to take the knowledge I have gained and use it towards the rest of my time in school and my future career. I will not soon forget my many experiences here and all the wonderful people I have met.

Read more about my experience at the Food Bank and find more photos on my personal blog!

If you are interested in interning at the Food Bank, contact us today!