LONG ISLAND — PIX11 is working with No Kid Hungry to raise money and awareness to fight food insecurity.
Thursday, June 11 is our “Day of Action” to support No Kid Hungry and provide children with nutritious meals.
To donate, click here to help us match and go beyond the PIX11 $12,000 contribution.
Hunger is an issue often hiding in plain sight.
That’s what No Kid Hungry New York Campaign Director Rachel Sabella said, and why No Kid Hungry is dedicated to ending childhood hunger in the U.S.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic started, one in six children faced food insecurity. Now, with record jobs lost, the economic impact may soon grow, she said.
In fact, the number could spike to one in four children facing hunger.
Sabella said she shudders to think of a world that doesn’t have programs like this one, with organizations like Island Harvest.
“Island Harvest is packaging up boxes with produce: apples, potatoes, celery and corn, and cereal, and canned food, and yogurt and milk,” she said.
Island Harvest is a food bank serving hundreds of families on Long Island; it’s lead by President Randi Shubin.
When we visited, she said 500 families were expected to get their grab-and-go sandwich for their kids, but they are also able to pick up a box full of food that Island Harvest has been able to donate to the school district.
No Kid Hungry is a national campaign that works with schools and local nonprofits like Island Harvest to give them the support they need to provide all kids with the healthy food they need to thrive.
Sabella said she hears stories of families who say without these programs, there may been no food on their table.
And for Shubin, she said being there for these families is important for their community, because the need is so great.
“I can’t imagine driving up or waiting on a line for an hour for food for your family. That’s a humbling thing to do — it’s tough, it’s happening in every single community across Long Island and across the country,” she said.
Sabella said programs like this one don’t judge: they’re open to anyone.
And through it all are hope and gratitude: Shubin said her team has gotten more of it than working anywhere else.
PIX11 is working with No Kid Hungry to raise money and awareness to fight food insecurity.
Thursday, June 11 is our “Day of Action” to support No Kid Hungry and provide children with nutritious meals.
To donate, click here to help us match and go beyond the PIX11 $12,000 contribution.
