Farmers are forced to throw away produce while Americans go hungry.

We can help fix this, together.

The Story

With restaurants and schools closed due to COVID-19, farmers are forced to destroy millions of pounds of fresh food that they can no longer sell. At the same time, Americans across the country are losing jobs, depleting savings and turning to food banks for the first time. Overwhelmed by the demand, food banks are forced to turn away families empty-handed, leaving them in hunger.

A group of eight friends mobilized a bootstrapped effort, Farms to Food Banks, to move food from oversupplied farms to undersupplied food banks. Within two weeks farmers, drivers, volunteers, media and thousands of donors had joined the effort.

The idea was conceived on April 14th and our South Bronx community non-profit partner, East Side House Settlement, distributed food for 800 families two weeks later on April 29th.

This was only the beginning.

Donations poured in, volunteers stepped up. By September Farms to Food Bank raised $1.5 million dollars to buy fresh produce from farmers and deliver it to the hungry people of NY.  To date:

$1.5+ MILLION RAISED

230,000+ PEOPLE FED

1.3 MILLION+ LBS OF FOOD DISTRIBUTED

Thank you to our 2,500+ individual donors, 10+ corporate donors and hundreds of volunteers.

FUNDS RAISED TO DATE

$0
Donations Outside of GoFundMe

Additional Funds

$5,000

$5,000 seed grant from the Rotary Club of New York

$8,650

$8,650 in founding donations to launch the initiative

$10,000

$10,000 grant from Gen Next Foundation

$50,000

$50,000 grant from the Rotary Club of New York to fund World Central Kitchen’s Free Farmer’s Market program

$1,200,000

Corporate donations including a very generous contribution from Hellmann’s Food Relief Fund.

Donated Resources Include

SOAR Transportation

Three refrigerated tractor-trailers, truck drivers, and fuel. 100% donated.

Anonymous

2,000 PPE masks and gloves for South Bronx volunteers. 100% donated.

Fordham Prep’s Build the Bronx Club

Three U-Haul rental trucks for local distribution. 100% donated.

Zaro’s Family Bakery

Loading dock and warehouse area for unloading. 100% donated.

RxR Realty

Additional storage space with box truck loading dock access.  100% donated.

Miami Club Rum

1,200 16-oz bottles of Miami Strong hand sanitizer. 100% donated.

LJ Duffy Contract Furniture

Shipping for Miami Strong sanitizer from Miami to NY. 100% donated.

SOAR Transportation

One refrigerated truck rental for World Central Kitchen distribution hub in Brooklyn. 100% donated.

Tony Palmieri of
Garden State Consolidating

Transportation of 42,000 pounds of rice and beans to East Side House. 100% donated.

Woolco Foods Inc.

Beans and rice sourced from American farmers at cost plus.

materialdsign

Web design and hosting. 100% donated.

Lauren Rubin

Supply Chain Consulting. 100% donated.
Our Partners

East Side House Settlement

Founded in 1891, East Side House is one of New York City’s oldest not-for-profit community service organizations. Located in the Mott Haven neighborhood of the South Bronx, one of the country’s poorest congressional districts, ESHS’s mission has been to enrich the quality of life in the community.

World Central Kitchen

A not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Founded in 2010 by celebrity chef Jose Andres, the organization’s method of operations is to be a first responder and then to collaborate and galvanize solutions with local chefs to solve the problem of hunger, immediately following a disaster.

New York Farm Bureau

A non-governmental, volunteer organization financed and controlled by member families for the purpose of solving economic and public policy issues challenging the agricultural industry. Farm Bureau‘s “grassroots” policy development process continues to ensure that the organization represents the majority position of its membership. 

Grow NYC

GrowNYC’s mission is to improve New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block and empower all New Yorkers to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations.

Media

BROADCAST

 ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – 04/23/20
LINK

Good Morning America – 04/25/20

ABC7NY Eyewitness News – 04/25/20
LINK

NY1 Cable News – 04/25/20
LINK

Good Morning America – 04/25/20

ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – 04/27/20

PBS Newshour (Australia) – 04/27/20

ABC World News Tonight with David Muir – 04/29/20
LINK

Brut.Media – 05/04/20
LINK

PRINT/ONLINE

Good Morning America – 04/23/20
LINK

Daily Mail (UK) – 04/24/20
LINK

ABC7 NY Eyewitness News – 04/25/20
LINK

NHK (Japan) – 04/25/20
LINK

CBN News – 04/28/20
LINK

Various Online Media (China) – 05/01/20
LINK

The Farms to Food Banks
Co-Founders

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