NYC’s Conference on Hunger and Poverty 2016

Keynote Speaker Tanya Fields

February 10, 2016 –Food Bank For New York City held NYC’s Conference on Hunger and Poverty, bringing together leaders from the anti-hunger community, supporters, and funders to look back at the last year of progress and move forward to address the city’s ongoing challenges.  Over 400 attendees representing our network of member organizations packed workshops informing and inspiring them to offer new services, respond during crises, improve efficiency, and get their messages out.

The keynote speech was given by Tanya Fields, executive director of the BLK ProjeK and advocate for ecological sustainability and social justice. The Cadwalader Corporate Service Award was presented to TMI, and the Kathy Goldman Community Innovation Award went to Bronx Bethany Church

Members attend a workshop

Food Bank For New York City held a press conference announcing new research demonstrating the lack of resources available to New York City soup kitchens and pantries, even as Federal policies are set to cut benefits from 53,000 New Yorkers.  The report, titled Abundant in Heart, Short on Resources, shows how the very organizations that are being asked to shoulder this additional burden must make do with less.  Half of the food pantries in our network operate on a budget of less than $25,000 a year.

Standout member organizations in each of the five boroughs were recognized for their excellence in the past year:  Morrisanea Baptist Church (Bronx), Christ Apostolic Church GOKE Pantry (Brooklyn), Jamaica SDA Church (Queens), and the Deparment of Probation Neighborhood Opportunity Network (Staten Island).

Award-winning members with Kathy Goldman and Zanita Tisdale