June 26, 2023, New York: Leslie Gordon’s passion for food justice stems all the way back to her grandfather, Norman Goldberg, who grew up without much, but always gave when he could. His legacy of generosity made him well known in the community and created a continued legacy of generosity throughout his family, including Gordon’s mother who became the head of the world’s largest wholesale produce terminal located in Hunts Point. Gordon later became president of Food Bank for New York City.
Gordon started her tenure as president of Food Bank for NYC back in March of 2020, during the height of the pandemic. However, with previous leadership positions at City Harvest and Feeding Westchester Food Bank, Gordon proved running a food bank would not be the challenge.
New York Nonprofit Media sat down with Gordon to speak about her passion for solving food insecurity, the challenges she faced running a food bank during COVID-19 and how she overcame those challenges while building trust and relationships in the organization.
“My passion for serving New Yorkers and people in general who are food insecure goes back generations in my family, and so, I carry on my family legacy in the work that I do to help New Yorkers every single day.”
About Food Bank For New York City
Since 1983, Food Bank For New York City has been focused on empowering every New Yorker with the right tools, resources and skills they need to achieve food security for good. Equipped with the unique perspective that comes with being for and of this city, our approach is designed to activate our growing network of food providers, partners, and volunteers to tackle the root causes of food insecurity across the five boroughs. Driven by our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good, we harness the collective power of our network of food providers, partners, and volunteers to activate the right resources, supports, and expertise across the five boroughs. Our work with more than 800 soup kitchens, food pantries, and campus partners provides immediate and reliable access to food and nutrition education, while our economic empowerment programs give people the tools and know-how to improve their financial wellness. Community by community, we work together to make progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for all.