No Kid Hungry and School in the Square in Washington Heights is providing free groceries and a Thanksgiving turkey pick-up for its families on Saturday, Nov. 19.
“Organizations like School in the Square that help put food on New Yorkers’ tables are so important–not just at holiday time, but year-round,” said Stephanie Wu Winter, Senior Program Manager for No Kid Hungry New York. “School in the Square has done amazing work responding not only to the needs of their school community, but to the needs of the broader community. They’re ensuring that kids across the neighborhood get the nutritious meals they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond.”
Earlier this year, No Kid Hungry awarded a $15,000 grant to Friends of School in the Square, a program within School in the Square which has an 85% Hispanic student body. The grant helps fund a pantry that provides free groceries to students’ families, ensuring they have enough food at home. Since April 2020, the program has provided over 8,000 bags of essential goods, serving over 2,000 families and community members within the Washington Heights and Inwood areas. In addition to the regular pantry distribution, on Saturday families will be able to receive the ingredients for a full Thanksgiving meal, thanks to the generous support of Fundamental Advisors.
“With the rising prices of everyday household goods, we understand the challenges many of our families are facing to put food on the table. As a school community, we are heartened by the outpouring of support for our bimonthly pantries by partners like No Kid Hungry and donors like Fundamental Advisors, especially during the holiday season,” said Cynthia Carrion, Chief Programs and Engagement Officer at School in the Square.
As many as 1 in 4 children in New York City experience food insecurity, with Black and Latino children experiencing higher rates of child hunger compared to their White and Asian counterparts. Research shows that when children are receiving meals regularly, they are less likely to be tired, are more attentive in class, and retain information better.