NYC-Area Veterans Facing Food Insecurity to Receive Help Thanks to Bob Woodruff Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies - Bob Woodruff Foundation

NYC-Area Veterans Facing Food Insecurity to Receive Help Thanks to Bob Woodruff Foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies

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As part of their recently announced spring grants, the Bob Woodruff Foundation tells hungry veterans in NYC “we’ve got your six”

With the support of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) recently announced a targeted investment of nearly $1M in programs helping veterans experiencing food insecurity in the New York City area.

These BWF grants will enable NYC-based programs City Harvest, Citymeals On Wheels, and Food Bank For New York City to provide services to veterans, military families, and other community residents, ranging from local food distribution events to much-needed meal delivery for homebound, elderly veterans.

“Our city’s veterans have given so much to us all and to our nation,” said Beth Shapiro, Executive Director of Citymeals on Wheels. “Citymeals is proud to partner with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to ensure older New York City veterans are able to age in their own homes and communities with dignity. Together with BWF, we are providing veterans home-delivered meals and friendly check-ins to ensure their well-being.”

These grants deliver on Craig Newmark Philanthropies’ “full plate, full pantry, full coverage” mission to fight hunger and food insecurity for all Americans, with an emphasis on veterans and their families, through his “craigstable” initiative. Launched with a $25M commitment by Craig Newmark, “craigstable” is an expanding network of organizations working together to address the issues of rising hunger and food security in America. The cohort of experts are collaborating to tackle a clear but complex challenge – how to feed hungry Americans now and how to build food security for every American in the long term. The Bob Woodruff Foundation is a leading partner in the “craigstable” initiative and works specifically to ensure veterans needs are represented in the ongoing national dialogues about food insecurity, and integrating those efforts with ongoing food security efforts and analysis around the country.

These grants are part of the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s Spring 2021 investment of over $4.6M in programs helping veterans and military families nationwide.

City Harvest

City Harvest is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the more than 1.6M New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. City Harvest rescues millions of pounds of food and delivers it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens and other community partners across the five boroughs. Their programs help veterans and other food-insecure New Yorkers access nutritious food that fits their needs and desires; increase their partners’ capacity; and strengthen the local food system, building a path to a food-secure future for all New Yorkers. This BWF award will support City Harvest’s ability to provide over 600,000 meals to individuals and families through their network of 400 food bank, soup pantry, and other community partners across the five boroughs of New York City. For more information, please visit cityharvest.org.

Citymeals on Wheels

Citymeals on Wheels provides a continuous lifeline of nourishing meals and vital companionship to homebound elderly individuals across New York City. Their programs ensure that elderly New Yorkers receive both a meal every day of the year and frequent check-ins, which help make it possible for frail seniors to stay in their homes. Their weekend meals are an especially important tool in helping vulnerable older adults maintain food security. This grant from the Bob Woodruff Foundation will fund the preparation and delivery of weekend meals for homebound, elderly veterans residing in New York City. With BWF funding, Citymeals on Wheels will provide over 37,000 weekend meals to 1,600 veterans across New York City. For more information, please visit citymeals.org.

Food Bank For New York City

For 37 years, Food Bank For New York City has been one of New York City’s leading hunger-relief organization. Food Bank For New York City secures, warehouses, transports, and distributes nutritious food including fresh produce to their network of nearly 1,000 member agencies including neighborhood-based food pantries and soup kitchens. Their services reach 90% of New York City zip codes. With this Bob Woodruff Foundation grant, Food Bank for New York City will decrease hunger and increase access to food for 20,000 veterans and other residents of New York City by distributing food to member agencies and operating outdoor pop-up distribution sites near VA locations across the city. For more information, please visit foodbanknyc.org.


About the Bob Woodruff Foundation

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has led an enduring call to action for people to stand up for heroes and meet the emerging and long-term needs of today’s veterans, including suicide prevention, mental health, caregiver support, and food insecurity. To date, BWF has invested over $80 million to Find, Fund and Shape™ programs that have empowered impacted veterans, service members, and their family members, across the nation. For more information, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @Stand4Heroes.

About Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer, philanthropist, and leading advocate. Most commonly known for founding the online classified ads service craigslist, Newmark works to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. In 2016, he founded Craig Newmark Philanthropies to advance people and grassroots organizations that are “getting stuff done” in areas that include trustworthy journalism & the information ecosystem, food insecurity, voter protection, women in technology, and veterans & military families. At its core, all of Newmark’s philanthropic work helps to strengthen American democracy by supporting the values that the country aspires to – fairness, opportunity, and respect. For more information, please visit: CraigNewmarkPhilanthropies.org. Craig can be found sharing his personal perspective on the issues of the day at @craignewmark.