Over the next six weeks, the city’s legal community will be fighting food insecurity, but not in a courtroom or a judge’s chambers. Instead, 17 NYC-based law firms involved in hunger-relief organization Food Bank for New York City’s Justice Served fundraising campaign are hoping to raise more than $200,000 — equivalent to 1 million meals — in an effort to drive down hunger.
Last year’s campaign raised $160,000. In 2023, Food Bank is looking “beyond food” to tackle food insecurity in the city.
The Bronx has one of nation’s highest rates of food insecurity, and last year Food Bank provided nearly 32 million free meals to the borough, which accounts for more than 26% of the organization’s total meal distribution across the five boroughs.
But Food Bank’s new approach, they tell the Bronx Times, is to address the systemic challenges that are leaving the Bronx’s hungriest families underresourced. This means securing housing referrals, access to resources like SNAP benefits and finding pathways to long-term employment and educational opportunities.
How hungry families, food pantries plan to tackle a looming holiday season
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment in the Bronx is more than 8% — the highest rate across the five boroughs — and more than 27% of Bronxites are living below the federal poverty level.
“As has been reported time and time again across the media, rates of poverty, including those facing food insecurity in the Bronx, are incredibly high,” said a spokesperson from Food Bank. “Today, we’re seeing these numbers increase because of historical inflation, pandemic devastating impact, a challenging job market, and many other factors.”
The organization plans to work with local community centers, other organizations and religious institutions to incorporate culturally relevant foods and a more diverse food-choice at their mobile distributions, pop-up distributions and campus pantries this year.
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