Hunger is a reality for far too many New Yorkers, but with the help of organizations like the Food Bank For New York City (FBNYC) and foundations including the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation, meaningful progress is being made. I recently had the opportunity to see firsthand how this vision has come to life.
Food Bank For New York City is the largest hunger-relief organization in the city is committed to fighting food insecurity across the five boroughs . Its mission is to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good by providing nutritious food, financial empowerment, and nutrition education .
FBNYC is especially driven by the support of their partnerships. They collaborate with both corporate and civic organizations to spread their mission across the city. The Henrik Lundqvist Foundation is one of Food Bank’s proud supporting partners, so as a HLFYA Alumni, I attended the virtual Service Learning Event with FBNYC on April 30. This event allowed both Young Ambassadors and Alumni to meet with representatives at Food Bank For New York City to gain a better understanding of why hunger is such a problem for those affected by it, and why it is so difficult to overcome.
When I initially signed up for the event, it didn’t cross my mind that this would be such a life-changing event for me. As I logged on to Zoom, I was promptly greeted by friendly HLF faces and kind FBNYC workers. Ed Llsen, Manager of Business Partnerships with FBNYC, began the event by asking us what we thought hunger and “being hungry” meant. After a few responses, together we uncovered the deeper meaning. It doesn’t just mean someone simply “skipped a meal” but instead they have inconsistent access to food and must make hard choices between necessities, like food and medicine. This definition was new to me, and it seriously made me think about being grateful for the things I have access to.
Following this, we began the interactive portion of the event. Each YA or alumni stepped into the shoes of a person looking to feed their family in one day, taking over all aspects of their life. After reviewing the profile packet, which contained the participant guide and budget worksheet, the first step was going to the “bank” and cashing the check to see how much money I had. Immediately, I was shocked to see how little it was. Nevertheless, I kept my head up and continued on with the day. After finding out I didn’t apply for SNAP benefits, I had to work with the money I had. After all that, the Bodega closed before I could get to the front of the line, so I wasn’t able to get any food. The most difficult part of this simulation was balancing jumping from place to place, so I can only imagine how hard this would be in real life, especially without transportation. This experience was so eye opening, because I was able to fully see why many face challenges such as being hungry for days. This all felt very stressful and when I returned to the call, it really set in that this is some peoples real lives. I was embarrassed to come back with essentially nothing.
I enjoy attending the service learning events like these because it allows me to understand the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation’s mission of creating a positive change in the world in a different way through working closely with their partners. This opportunity has changed my mindset on hunger as a whole, as it has encouraged me to continue to stay educated and involved by finding ways to help solve hunger in New York City. Being a part of HLF has shown me that I have the power to make a real impact, no matter how big or small the action is.
