City Harvest’s annual initiative helps feed NYC children and families over the summer when access to free school meals may become limited
NEW YORK, May 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- City Harvest, New York City’s first and largest food rescue organization, is bringing New Yorkers together in support of the 2023 Share Lunch Fight Hunger campaign – a critical initiative that helps feed NYC children and their families during the summer months. Last year, City Harvest exceeded its goal, raising enough funds to feed nearly 17,000 families for the entire summer. This year, City Harvest is setting out to raise enough to help feed 13,000 families across the five boroughs.
Over 1.5 million New York City residents, including 1 in 4 children, currently face food insecurity. With the expiration of expanded pandemic-era Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits impacting millions of NYC residents, the hunger crisis has been deemed “a catastrophe” by local leaders. Since day one, Sharebite, the leading employee meal benefits platform, has supported City Harvest; and during the month of May, every meal ordered through Sharebite will result in the equivalent of one meal donation to City Harvest’s Share Lunch Fight Hunger. Sharebite’s NYC customers – such as Wieden + Kennedy, BCLP, and Betterment, will automatically, and at no extra cost, take part in the initiative.
“Empty plates and malnourished minds have no place anywhere, and the private sector can help fix this,” said Dilip Rao, CEO and Co-Founder of Sharebite. “We understand the powerful role food plays in our health and society, which is why Sharebite is on a mission to get every worker in America fed by their employer, while combating food insecurity in local communities. We are honored to highlight our partnership with City Harvest for Share Lunch Fight Hunger, particularly during such uncertain economic times.”
"We are thrilled to partner with Sharebite for this year's Share Lunch Fight Hunger campaign," said Rebecca Fontes, Director of Business Partnerships at City Harvest. "Across New York City, hundreds of thousands of children are going to bed every night without knowing where their next meal will come from. Thanks to the support of partners like Sharebite, we will help ensure our youngest neighbors have nutritious food on their tables all summer long.”
“Feeding our employees while supporting the community with Sharebite has been transformative for employee well-being and company culture,” said Jessi Ortolano, Director of Facilities for Wieden + Kennedy. “Our partnership with Sharebite, and by extension, City Harvest, is deeply meaningful, especially when families are struggling to put food on the table to feed their children this summer.”
With state of the art technology and a top-tier restaurant partner network, Sharebite enables companies to fuel employee well-being with meal benefits. Through Sharebite’s partnerships with City Harvest and Feeding America®, the mission-driven company has donated the equivalent of more than 5.6 million meals to communities in need across the United States.*
About Sharebite
Sharebite is the leading employee meal benefits platform designed for the modern workforce. By combining team orders, flexible solutions, centralized meal allowances, curated restaurant choices, and community impact, Sharebite establishes a workplace culture of connection and service for clients, whether their employees are in the office, at home, or somewhere in between. Every transaction made on the Sharebite platform results in a donation to alleviate hunger in local communities via its partnerships with Feeding America® and City Harvest. Sharebite’s corporate customers – ranging from global investment banks and law firms, to category-leading companies across nearly every industry – are automatically, and at no extra cost, part of the solution. Built for the enterprise, Sharebite is SOC2 compliant, and seamlessly connects to all major HRIS, ERP and Accounting Platforms. Sharebite has been recognized by Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in 2023, Inc.’s Best in Business in 2021 and 2022, Crain's New York Business Best Place to Work in 2021 and 2022, and as a finalist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Citizens Awards for companies operating as a force for good.
About City Harvest
City Harvest is New York’s first and largest food rescue organization, helping to feed millions of New Yorkers who struggle to put meals on their tables. During our 40 years serving New Yorkers in need, we have rescued more than one billion pounds of fresh, nutritious food and delivered it—free of charge—to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, community partners, and our own Mobile Markets® across the five boroughs. This year, we will rescue and distribute more than 75 million pounds of nutritious food to our neighbors in need. Named one of America's Top 100 Charities by Forbes, City Harvest works alongside our community partners to boost community capacity, expand nutrition education, and strengthen local food systems. Since our founding in 1982, City Harvest has always been there to feed our city—one day, one meal, one New Yorker at a time. To learn more, please visit Share Lunch Fight Hunger - City Harvest.
*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local partner food banks.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a9b2a6fd-8cfa-4daf-953a-124539c1af47
