New Grant Program for Emergency Food Providers

Deputy Mayor Linda I. Gibbs and the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City have announced a new grant program that will help post Sandy Emergency Food Providers. Over $1.7 Million will go towards Food Bank for New York City and City Harvest to provide grants for Emergency Food Providers.  This funding is designed to help soup kitchens and food pantries in Sandy-affected areas continue to distribute thousands of meals, as well as rebuild and improve their own establishments. The grants will be given on a rolling basis leading up to mid-April. "The City is committed to helping our non-profit partners get back on their own feet as they continue to help our neighbors recover," said Deputy Major Gibbs. "We are grateful to our donors and our partners at Food Bank for New York City and City Harvest who are working hard to restore and strengthen these networks at such a critical time for our city," continued Megan Sheekey, President of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. "In the first 20 days after the storm, our Emergency Food Assistance Program and our partner agencies distributed over half a million pounds of food to the affected neighborhoods," said Robert Doar, Human Resources Administration Commissioner. City Harvest has already distributed close to six million pounds of food post Hurricane Sandy and are eagerly looking forward to the grant program so that they can continue to do what they have done. Many of the emergency food providers are currently dealing with a need to simultaneously adjust to a growing client base and rebuild/repair their own accommodations. The mini-grants these food providers will be eligible to receive include food grants, benefits outreach (i.e. marketing tools and technical aid), and cash grants.