How to help feed hungry in the city

As the COVID-19 pandemic forced shutdowns across the country and caused a national financial crisis, the city’s unemployment rate soared to nearly 20% over the summer.

Without jobs, many New Yorkers have struggled to make ends meet, which can make putting a hot meal on the t table a challenge. Here’s how h you can help:

CITY C HARVEST

City Harvest delivers free produce to all five boroughs and feeds thousands every month. They take monetary donations on their website and offer the ability to volunteer several times a week on their online calendar. That includes organizing pantry donations and distributing food. Each volunteer is required to attend a virtual orientationofroughlyanhour.

“The one word I hear a lot these days is the feeling of ‘helplessness,’” said City Harvest council member Dominique Ansel, who donates food from his local bakery. “But we are not helpless. Our efforts — no matter how small — always help.”

THE BOWERY MISSION

The Bowery Mission has remained open throughout the pandemic and has continuously fed the city’s needy for over a century. It accepts food donations at its main office at 227 Bowery in Manhattan from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Any questions about what can be donated can be answered with an email to the mission. Other volunteer options include serving meals to the homeless or hungry, which are listed by date on their online calendar.

ENCORE COMMUNITY SERVICES

Encore Community Services provides free lunch to the low-income elderly population every weekday in Midtown. Serving homebound seniors as well by bringing them packaged meals, groceries, and emergency supplies, theorganizationacceptsmonetary donations on their website and supplies for the Encore Emergency Store.