NY food banks go empty on Easter amid COVID-19
What steps do we need to take to get those hit hardest back on their feet? Jean Shafiroff, New York City Mission Society board member, reacts.
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With unemployment claims skyrocketing and food banks facing shortages around the country, one New York philanthropist is urging all Americans capable of donating or volunteering to join the fight against hunger amid the coronavirus crisis.
“No matter whether your donation is $5 or $1,000 or $10,000, whatever you can give it’s so appreciated,” said Jean Shafiroff, a philanthropist and the author of a book on charitable giving. “Never think that even the smallest of gifts are not appreciated.”
The United States has seen more than 600,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University, and more than 26,000 deaths attributed to the illness.
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To slow the contagion’s spread, officials at various levels of government across the country are turning to social isolation guidelines or stay-at-home orders and widespread closures of “nonessential” businesses – which have in turn left a staggering number of Americans unable to earn money through no fault of their own.
The result is tremendous stress on food banks across the U.S. There is record demand, a shortage of volunteers and a surge in operating costs.
Feeding America, which has 200 food banks in its network, says that many of them are facing spikes in demand – and about 60 percent have supply shortages.
The rising costs could amount to well over a $1 billion to maintain Feeding America’s food banks alone over the next six months, the charity said.
“Never has the charitable food system faced such tremendous challenge, and we need all the resources we can get to help our neighbors during this terrible time,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the nonprofit’s CEO.
Shafiroff, who sits on the boards of trustees for more than half dozen charities, says the best way to help is to donate cash, because food banks can use it to both pick up food and cover overhead and distribution costs.
Plus a food bank can buy directly from suppliers at lower cost than donors shopping at retail stores, Kyle Waide, president of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, noted earlier this week.
And Shafiroff says another way to help is to volunteer, if possible, although some organizations are currently turning away potential new volunteers to minimize the chance of spreading the virus.
For her part, she says she’s giving her local food pantry $2,000 a week for the next 10 weeks in addition to donations to an animal shelter’s pet food pantry and other nonprofits.
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“The need is so great,” she told Fox News. “I don’t think any of us want to see any child go hungry. Or any adult. Everyone should have food on the table.”
She recommends that people who want to help out can use the GuideStar and Charity Navigator websites to vet any charities they are considering.
“And also we can pray,” she noted. “I believe in prayer, the power of prayer.”
Fox News’ Rob DiRienzo contributed to this report.
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