City Harvest Working To Put Thanksgiving Food On The Table

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — Inside a warehouse in Long Island City, a bustling operation is packing thousands of family-sized bags of Thanksgiving food for families in need.

Staff with the food rescue organization City Harvest will spend this week packing bags of fresh produce and Thanksgiving staples, such as stuffing and canned pumpkin, to deliver to food pantries and soup kitchens across the five boroughs ahead of the holiday.

City Harvest aims to pack and distribute 200,000 pounds of food by the end of the week, working in shifts while observing social distancing and other health and safety guidelines.

Nearly 100,000 pounds had been packed as of Monday night, according to an online tracker.

More than a dozen companies — including Credit Suisse, Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Virtu Financial Inc. — stepped up to donate $435,000 to the cause, according to a news release.

“With so many of our neighbors continuing to contend with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, we remain dedicated to ensuring all New Yorkers can sit down for a meal with their families this holiday season," Victoria Liu, City Harvest's associate director of business partnerships, said in a statement.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.