Food Bank Launches Program To Help Feed Hungry During Holidays

ny1.newsx.cc

Food Bank Launches Program To Help Feed Hungry During Holidays
11/15/2007 08:58 AM
By: NY1 News

Some city supermarkets and hunger activists want shoppers to think about the less fortunate while they're buying food for their own table this Holiday season.

The Food Bank For NYC is launching its annual 'Check Out Hunger' campaign. New Yorkers can add $1, $3 or $5 to their bill at the checkout line. The money goes directly toward feeding hungry New Yorkers.

The Check Out Hunger campaign is taking place at about 100 stores across the city, including Whole Foods stores.

“In the past we've had about $40,000 raised every year, just from Whole Foods Market,” said Fred Shank of Whole Foods. “But we have a new location at Bowery and Houston, so we hope to add on to that this year.”

The Food Bank says the need has never been greater, with more people turning to emergency food assistance than in years past, at a time when supplies are down.

“We have over 1.3 million people that are turning to community food programs, like soup kitchens and food pantries all across the five boroughs of New York City,” said Jakobsberg.

This is an annual campaign. Last year, Check Out Hunger raised enough money to provide nearly one million pounds of food. The goal this year is one and a half million pounds.

For a list of all the supermarkets taking part in this campaign and more details on other ways to help, go online to www.foodbanknyc.org>.