#BetterTogether: Season of Giving 2024
More than 44 million people, including about seven million children, were food insecure in 2023, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. About three million men, women, and children in New York are straining to meet their basic needs according to a True Cost of Living report.
There are many factors that lead to food insecurity, including lack of access to food and healthy meal options. And often families are struggling financially to meet their basic needs and afford to put food on the table. Food Prices have steadily risen since 2020. And while the annual inflation rate has been declining, the price of groceries is still high. This means, the cost of a holiday meal will be expensive again this season.
To help feed our families this holiday season, we are continuing our #BetterTogether Season of Giving campaign.
As a part of this initiative, we are continuing our partnership with local community organizations to raise money, awareness, and food.
Join us in our mission to fight food insecurity so everyone can have a delicious holiday meal.
OUR PARTNERS
NY Common Pantry
New York Common Pantry opened its doors in 1980 serving 30 families. Now the community-based food pantry serves more than 500,000 people annually.
They work to reduce hunger and food insecurity by offering programs to help those they serve with everything from fresh food to housing and educational resources.
We joined New York Common Pantry in the Bronx on Saturday, Dec. 14 for a gift card/toy distribution. By the end of our broadcast, the pantry had distributed more than 6,000 meals and given out 200 toys.
To make a donation, CLICK HERE.
Community Food Bank of New Jersey
The Community Food Bank of New Jersey wants all families to be able to have access to a healthy meal. As part of our #BetterTogether initiative, we partnered up for a third year to help feed families this holiday season during their annual turkey drive on Saturday, Nov. 23. Hundreds of people answered the call to help those in need. At least 2,400 turkeys and 18,000 pounds of food were donated.
To learn more about the organization, including many locations where you can make a donation, volunteer and more, CLICK HERE.
New York Common Pantry distributes thousands of meals, hundreds of toys
Santa came early for children uptown Saturday.
From the Bronx to East Harlem, CBS News New York was honored to help spread Christmas cheer at the New York Common Pantry's Christmas toy drive.
Bronx resident Jaskarras Jerez has been getting toys from the toy drive for four years now.
"It's a very nice help because it's good times and it's bad times. Like, right now, this year is like a bad time for me. I'm not working ... So it's hard for me to buy gifts for my grandkids," she said.
Helping folks like Jerez is what the pantry is all about.
"They help me a lot. They're beautiful people, especially Jose," Jerez said.
"These people are family here," New York Common Pantry staff member Jose said.
Since 1980, New York Common Pantry has served more than 11 million meals and distributed close to 2 million pounds of fresh produce to 729,000 people in the city.
"I take these people as my own family, as aunties, grandmas, you know. It could be your own mother. I'm very grateful just serving them," Jose said.
From food to hot meals to toys at Christmas, no detail is forgotten and no family left behind.
Translating for his mother, one child said, "This program helps us a lot because sometimes they give out food and we have food to eat sometimes."
"I like the toys and the food because on Thanksgiving, they gave my mom a turkey for us to eat," another child said.
"We're going to see over 400 families who are coming here to get a toy, a gift card and their food, their regular pantry packages. On a typical week, we serve about 1,000 families here. Today is an exceptionally busy day because we're bringing some holiday cheer here to the Bronx, and we're very excited to do this for our families," said New York Common Pantry Deputy Director Judy Secon.
By the end of our broadcast Saturday, the pantry had distributed more than 6,000 meals and given out 200 toys, and reminded everyone in our community that they are never alone.
NY Common Pantry volunteers come through
NY Common Pantry providing crucial services
Amazon, L'Oreal provide donations to New York Common Pantry clients
Hundreds of people in East Harlem received the gift of self-care this week with donations from L'Oreal and Amazon. The New York Common Pantry's clients can feel fresh and clean with their new care packages.
The special delivery arrived just in time to treat NYCP's clients to toiletries, as Amazon and L'Oreal mobilized alongside the nonprofit Robin Hood Foundation.
More full-time workers in NYC seeking help from food pantries
The New York Common Pantry says an unexpected clientele is seeking support - New Yorkers who work full time.
According to a new report by the organization Robin Hood, 11% of working New Yorkers now need a food pantry to be able to eat, compared to 5% in 2019. The report also shows nearly one in three adults - 31% - and nearly of families with children - 44% - experienced food hardship last year.
Local organizations help college students dealing with food insecurity
As so many families look forward to the Thanksgiving meals they'll be enjoying Thursday, you might be surprised to learn that college students are one of the most vulnerable populations when it comes to food insecurity. CBS News New York's Allen Devlin shows us several local organizations making a difference this holiday season.
Nearly 4,900 turkeys donated at N.J. turkey drives
The Community Food Bank of New Jersey wants all families to be able to have access to a healthy meal. As part of our #BetterTogether initiative, we partnered up for a third year to help feed families this holiday season during their annual turkey drive on Saturday, Nov. 23!
There were many drop-off locations across New Jersey. Our teams collected food donations at these three spots:
- ShopRite of Livingston, 483 S. Livingston Avenue in Livingston, NJ
- ACME of Edgewater, 481 River Road in Edgewater, NJ
- SmartWorld Coffee, 41 Diamond Spring Road in Denville, NJ
Hundreds of people answered the call to help those in need.
Across the three locations, a total of 4,884 turkeys were donated, along with 63,846 pounds of other food and $37,504.92 in monetary donations.
More than 44 million people, including about seven million children, were food insecure in 2023, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. About one million of those who are food insecure live in New Jersey.
There are many factors that lead to food insecurity, including lack of access to food and healthy meal options. And often families are struggling financially to meet their basic needs and afford to put food on the table.
Community Food Bank of New Jersey
The Community Food Bank of New Jersey's mission is to fight hunger and poverty in New Jersey by assisting those in need and seeking long term solutions. CFBNJ engages, educated and empowers all sectors of society in the battle. Working together with volunteers, donors and their many partners, CFBNJ works to fill the emptiness caused by hunger with food, help and hope.
CBS News New York celebrates Season of Giving at New Jersey turkey drives
CBS News New York teams up with CFBNJ for food drives
CFBNJ helps teach skills needed to land a job
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey's warehouse in Hillside was busy Friday with people learning the skills they need to land a job. For some, it's a career change, and for others, it's a second chance.
Food bank employee Monroe Reed was at work using a forklift and other heavy equipment to move pallets of food from point A to point B. For Reed, it's an opportunity he once thought was out of reach.
"This is a good program, especially for people like me that's coming out and they just want to try something new with their life," he said.
Reed was incarcerated not that long ago.
When he was released, he discovered the Community FoodBank offers a free job training program that teaches warehouse logistics. Students get the knowledge they need in the classroom, plus hands-on training in the warehouse. It's open to all New Jersey residents over the age of 18.
Reed graduated almost a year ago and got a job at the FoodBank.
Warehousing and distribution jobs are in-demand.
Workforce development director Elaine Sanders say graduates of the eight-week program can get jobs right away.
"We are helping to change the lives of New Jerseyans through education so we can shorten the lines that they no longer need a food pantry," Sanders said.
For Reed, he got more than a job. He found a career and a community.
"To be able to sit down and eat with them, to go on little vacations and to do things I've never experienced actually in my life, and to do it with my coworkers here that I consider family, I'm thankful for that," he said.
And he gets to be an inspiration for new students, proving it's never too late to pick up a new skill.
The free training program is paid for by private donations, as well as state grants.
CFBNJ partners with Covenant House to help youth experiencing homelessness
For years, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has been working with groups to feed youth experiencing homelessness, but more aid is needed.
At Covenant House New Jersey in Newark, food isn't the only thing getting prepared; there, young people who are learning to cook are also getting prepared for life.
"It makes me feel like I'm still doing something with my life, and I'm still trying," said 19-year-old Lovely Frederique, who moved into Covenant House almost four months ago.
The temporary homeless shelter for young adults has been providing her and many others her age with resources to help build themselves up, teaching life skills, like cooking.
"It does give me a lot of hope ... They gave me a place to stay when I had nowhere else to go," Frederique said.
The cooking program could only happen through a special partnership with the CFBNJ. Officials say they donate almost a quarter of the food the young adults cook and serve.
"It offsets our costs, especially now, with everything so high," said David Delia, food services director for Covenant House New Jersey.
The shelter serves three meals a day, seven days a week to those in need, so help is always needed.
"They say we're a homeless shelter and these kids are homeless, but they're not. This is their home, so we try to treat them like that, you know? Unconditional love is one of our mottos," Delia said.
The demand for this type of support is so high, Covenant House New Jersey currently has more than 100 people on a wait list.
"It's started to get cold and it's time to go indoors for young people who have been sleeping in unsafe and unhoused situations," said CEO Julia Einbond.
The CEO says intakes are up almost 20% compared to last year.
"We need more beds, we need more space. We are doing the best with what we have," Einbond said.
But they are getting by with support and love from those willing to make a difference.
Volunteers vital to helping Community FoodBank of New Jersey achieve their goals
CBS News New York's 3rd Annual #BetterTogether: Season of Giving campaign is underway. About 1.3 million New Yorkers have difficulty feeding their families and themselves, according to City Harvest
We're partnering with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey to help raise money and food donations to battle food insecurity.
This Saturday, we'll be teaming up with the food bank for their 24th Annual Turkey Drive, and we could use your help.
"We are trying to collect 85,000 turkeys, hams and roasters to give out to fellow New Jersians this Thanksgiving," said CFBNJ President and CEO Elizabeth McCarthy. "Food insecurity, unfortunately, is at an all-time high, and while year-round it's a problem, especially at the holidays, we want to make sure every family has a meal."
The focus is on the Thanksgiving feast, but food insecurity never takes a holiday. In fact, during the course of the year, the CFBNJ serves over 90 million meals in 15 counties in New Jersey through 800 community partners like food pantries, soup kitchens and local churches.
"One in nine people in New Jersey is estimated to be food insecure, and the need seems to be going up," McCarthy said.
The food bank says their volunteers are vital.
"The volunteers are unbelievable. This month, we'll have about 17,000 volunteer hours, so really, we could not operate without them," McCarthy said.
The volunteer hours served at the FoodBank are equivalent to 43 full-time employees.
"If you had to equate this to dollars, how many dollars are here as far as donated hours?" CBS News New York's John Elliott asked.
"I would say we're probably spending a good $50,000 just today in terms of hours spent," said Frank Melaccio, with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.
"It's so important to volunteer and give back to the community we serve," said Wendy Lanski, with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.
"I was a practicing lawyer, and I wanted to contribute in a very different way to the community," said Rick Meth, who has been a volunteer since 2018.
"I feel like I'm doing something, I'm helping someone," said first-time volunteer Portia Rolle.
"What do you get out of this?" Elliott asked.
"It's joy, it's peace. It's just collaborating with the community, and I love it," said volunteer Subrinia Clark, with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.
3rd CBS New York Turkey Drive next week
The 3rd Annual CBS News New York Turkey Drive with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey is only one week away.
We'll be live at three locations in New Jersey on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Veterans thankful for Community Food Back of New Jersey
Nov. 11 kicked off CBS News New York's third annual #BetterTogether: Season of Giving campaign.
We are helping organizations like our partners at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey raise awareness, money, and food donations.
We're telling you more about helping those who served us -- our veterans. They make up for a large number of food-insecure Americans.
Reporter Kristie Keleshian introduces us to some Garden State veterans thankful for the help the food bank provides.
