Last month, more than 1 in 3 households had hungry children...

this level of food insecurity in our country is unprecedented in modern times.

The pandemic has left 20% of our labor force unemployed, 36 million people. People who have never experienced hunger before are now dependent on food pantries and food banks. Nationally, pantries have reported an average 70% increase in clients, while New York City, the epicenter of the virus, reports a 700% increase.

To make matters worse, this overwhelming demand has been met by a struggling supply chain. Items like pasta, rice, meat, and dairy are harder and harder to come by, some produce obsolete because farms have temporarily shut down. When these items are on the shelves, their prices have increased significantly, at a time when Americans are struggling financially.

With so many people suffering so greatly, my foundation donated one million meals to the Food Bank for NYC. Elmhurst, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Woodside and Corona in Queens are among the top 10 hardest hit neighborhoods in New York. We all have to look out for our neighbors and ask ourselves how we can help. This is a tsunami and food insecurity will last far longer than this pandemic.

I ask you to please join me and help the people in Queens, the heart and soul of New York City, by donating at FoodBankNYC.org/LeFrak. The FAL Foundation will match each donation dollar for dollar. $1 pays for 5 meals, no donation is too small!

To contact the FAL Foundation for more information email jill@falfoundation.org

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/business/coronavirus-food-supply.html?searchResultPosition=4

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/coronavirus-blog/2020/04/21/more-ny-residents-rely-on-food-pantries

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/05/06/the-covid-19-crisis-has-already-left-too-many-children-hungry-in-america/