>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO

"METROFOCUS."

I'M RAFAEL PI ROMAN.

WE'RE IN THIS CASING A FOOD

CRISIS HERE IN NEW YORK CITY

WORK OVER 1 MILLION NEW YORKERS

CURRENTLY FACING FOOD

INSECURITY.

FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS, FOOD BANK

FOR NEW YORK CITY HAS BEEN

WORKING TO END HUNGER IN THE

FIVE BOROUGHS BY PROVIDING

HEALTHY MEALS TO NEW YORKERS AND

BY ATTEMPTING THE ADDRESS THE

STRUCTURAL ISSUES THAT

CONTRIBUTE TO FOOD INSECURITY.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT THE

EFFORTS TO COMBAT FOOD

INSECURITY AND WIN THE LARGER

WAR AGAINST HUNGER ARE LESLIE

GORDON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF

FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY, AND

LARRY STROMBEL.

THEY'RE WITH US AS PART OF OUR

CHASING THE DREAM INITIATIVE ON

POVERTY, JUSTICE, AND ECONOMIC

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HEAR WITH

US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING WITH US.

DELIGHTED TO BE IN YOUR COMPANY.

>> THANK YOU.

SO, LISTEN, BEFORE WE GET INTO

THE WORK THAT BOTH OF YOU DO AT

AND FOR THE FOOD BARK, LET'S

TALK ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY

ITSELF.

WHAT IS FOOD INSECURITY, AND

JUST HOW BAD IS THE PROBLEM IN

NEW YORK CITY?

>> SURE.

SO RAFAEL, NEW YORK CITY'S GOT A

POPULATION OF ABOUT 8.4 MILLION

PEOPLE GIVE OR TAKE, AND 1 IN 6

STRUGGLE TO GET ENOUGH

NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO EAT TO LIVE

THEIR BEST LIFE, AND TO GO

THROUGH REALLY DAILY ACTIVITIES,

KIDS TO BE ABLE TO BE AT THEIR

PRODUCTIVE BEST TO BE IN SCHOOL,

MOMS AND DADS TO HAVE THE ENERGY

TO GO TO WORK DURING THE DAY,

OLDER AMERICANS TO GO THROUGH

THEIR DAYS.

SO AT FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK

CITY WE STAND IN THE GAP AND AT

THE READY 365 DAYS A YEAR TO

MAKE SURE ACCESS TO GOOD

NUTRITIOUS FOOD AND CULTURALLY

RELEVANT FOOD IS AVAILABLE ON

NEARLY EVERY STREET AND IN EVERY

NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE FIVE

BOROUGHS.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FOOD

INSECURITY, IT'S AN UMBRELLA

TERM.

IF WE'RE TO UNPACK THAT,

QUICKLY IT'S A SET OF DIMENSIONS

THAT CAUSE MACHINE TO NOT HAVE

ENOUGH NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO EAT.

SO IT'S UNDER EMPLOYMENT,

UNEMPLOYMENT, COULD BE MENTAL

HEALTH ISSUES, GENERAL HEALTH

ISSUES, HOUSING CHALLENGES.

THERE'S REALLY A CONTINUUM OF

TH

THINGS.

COULD BE ACCESS AT A COLLEGE OR

UNIVERSITY.

30% TO 40% OF OUR HIGHER

EDUCATION STUDENTS ACROSS THE

UNITED STATES ARE FOOD INSECURE,

DON'T HAVE ENOUGH GOOD

NUTRITIOUS FOOD.

>> WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN NEW

YORK CITY?

THOSE ARE THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE

BECOME FOOD INSECURE.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF THEM IN

NEW YORK CITY?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT'S INTERESTING

IS IF I THINK ABOUT THE LAST

COUPLE YEARS DURING THE PANDEMIC

ERA THAT SHONE A BRIGHT LIGHT ON

THIS STUBBORN PROBLEM OF FOOD

INSECURITY, IT MAKES IT SEEM AS

THOUGH IT DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE

COVID.

AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IS

THAT A REALLY HIGH NUMBER, CLOSE

TO 20% OF OUR NEIGHBORS IN THIS

GREAT CITY HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING

FOR DECADES.

AT THE HEART OF IT, IT'S A

SYSTEMS PROBLEM.

IT'S LACK OF ACCESS AND EQUITY

TO RESOURCES, SOME POPULATIONS

HAVE.

IT'S LAWS.

IT'S UNDEREMPLOYMENT.

MORE RECENTLY WE'RE STRUGGLING

WITH HIGH RATES OF INFLATION.

SO FOR EXAMPLE THE COST OF FOOD

HAS DWGONE UP PRETTY

PRECIPITOUSLY, ALMOST 20% YEAR

ON YEAR.

IF YOU'VE GONE OUT AND YOU

HAPPEN TO LIKE EGGS, IT'S A

GREAT SOURCE OF PROTEIN.

YOU BUY A CARTON OF EGGS THESE

DAYS COULD BE AS MUCH AS 8

BUCKS.

RENT HAS GONE UP.

SINCE DECEMBER OF 2022, THE RENT

HAS GONE UP JUST ABOUT 15%.

SO THERE'S THIS CONVERGENCE OF

VERY STUBBORN ISSUES THAT ARE

COMING AT PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY

STRUGGLING ON LOW INCOMES.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO CON

CONTEXTUALIZE WHO WE'RE TALKING

ABOUT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE ARE

OUR NEIGHBORS.

IT'S OLDER AMERICANS ON LIMITED

INCOMES.

IT'S MOMS AND DADS WHO ARE OUT

THERE EVERY DAY, HAVE FULL-TIME

JOBS, SOMETIMES TWO AND THREE

JOBS.

IT'S COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO ARE ON

A FABULOUS JOURNEY TO

SELF-ACTUALIZE AND LIVE THEIR

BEST LIFE WHO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH

ACCESS TO FOOD.

IT'S KIDS IN YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM

WHO WHEN SCHOOL IS NOT IN

SESSION DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE

ACCESS TO THREE SOLID MEALS A

DAY.

>> LARRY, I PROMISE I'M GOING TO

GET TO YOU IN ONE SECOND, BUT A

COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR LESLIE.

YOU TALK ABOUT INFLATION.

ISN'T THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, S.N.A.P.,

ISN'T THAT INDEXED TO INFLATION?

>> THE S.N.A.P. HADN'T BEEN

ADJUSTED UNTIL THE RECENT

PANDEMIC ERA IN DECADES, IN

FACT.

AND IN SOME WAYS IT'S TIED TO

MINIMUM WAGE AND WHAT WAS

CONSIDERED LIVING INCOME FOR A

FAMILY, WHICH IS ABOUT $24,000 A

YEAR.

IMAGINE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY

ON $24,000 A YEAR.

AND IT'S SUPPLEMENTAL, AS

INDICATED IN THE NAME.

SO THE INTENTION THERE IS NOT

FOR IT TO FILL EVERY NEED FOR

THREE MEALS A DAY.

>> AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE

COVID PANDEMIC.

THAT'S WHEN YOU CAME IN.

YOU CAME IN AT THE HEIGHT OF THE

COVID PANDEMIC WHEN THINGS WERE

REALLY BAD, ESPECIALLY FOR

SOMEONE WITH YOUR

RESPONSIBILITIES.

HOW DOES OUR SITUATION NOW

COMPARE TO WHERE IT WAS AT THE

HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC?

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT,

I LANDED HERE IN MARCH OF 202

THE GOOD NEWS IS, FOOD BANK

WORSE MADE FOR THIS.

NEW YORKERS CAN COUNT ON US WHEN

THEY'RE NEEDED, AND WE ROSE VERY

QUICKLY TO INCREMENTALLY

INCREASE.

IN 2021 WE DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN

140 MILLION MEALS ACROSS --

>> YOU DOUBLED -- IN YOUR TENURE

YOU DOUBLED THE AMOUNT OF MEALS

I READ.

>> YEAH, WE DID, WE DID.

WHAT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE, AND

THIS IS WHERE FOCUS LIKE LARRY

AND THE INCREDIBLE CAMPAIGN HE

HELPS THE MOBILIZE EVERY YEAR

WITH JUSTICE SERVED COMES IN.

THE NEED IS NOT RECEDING.

IT MORE THAN DOUBLED DURING THE

PANDEMIC ERA.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ONLINES AND

VISITING FOOD PANTRIES AND SOUP

KITCHENS AND SHELTERS ACROSS

YOUR GREAT CITY ARE NOT RECEDES.

IN FACT, THEY REMAIN AT A

PANDEMIC ERA HIGH, FRANKLY

RELATED TO THE THINGS WE JUST

TALKED ABOUT.

SO HIGH RATES OF INFLATION,

RISING COST OF FOOD.

IT'S A DIRE SITUATION, NOT TO BE

UNDERSTATED.

AND WE'RE GRATEFUL TO FOCUS LIKE

LARRY AND HIS PEERS AND

COLLEAGUES ACROSS OUR CITY IN

THE LEGAL SECTOR WHO REALLY

MOBILIZE THEMSELVES ONCE A YEAR

TO VOLUNTEER TO ADVOCATE AND TO

DONATE.

>> IS LET'S TALK TO LIRRY TO

TALK ABOUT THAT.

YOU KNOW, LARRY, THE FOOD BANK,

AMONG OTHER THINGS, RELIES ON

GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM

INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

LIKE YOUR OWN LAW FIRM.

FIRST OF ALL, GIVE US THE NAME

OF YOUR LAW FIRM AND TELL US

ABOUT ITS SPECIAL CONNECTION TO

THE FOOD BANK.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

I'M A PARTNER AT THE LAW FIRM, A

GLOBAL LAW FIRM, THE OLDEST

CONOUSLY RUN LAW FIRM IN THE

UNITED STATES, FOUNDED OVER 240

YEARS AGO.

WE HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF

WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITIES IN

WHICH WE WORK AND SERVE, AND OUR

CONNECTION WITH FOOD BANK GOES

BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING.

ONE OF MY PARTNERS, GREAT

COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND WHO HAS

SINCE PASSED ON, WAS ONE OF THE

FOUNDING PARTNERS, ONE OF THE

FOUNDING MEMBERS OF FOOD BANK

AND HELPED TO ORGANIZE IT AS A

NONPROFIT 40 YEARS AGO.

AND THAT WAS JUST AN INDICATION

OF THE SPIRIT HERE AT OUR FIRM

AND MANY, MANY OTHER FIRMS AND

LAWYERS THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO

WANT TO BE BETTER CONNECTED TO

THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE

LIVE.

>> TALK ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

THAT YOU STARTED, JUSTICE

SERVED.

WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?

WHAT DOES IT DO?

>> SURE.

SO, THROUGH MY ROLE HERE AT THE

FIRM, I GOT TO KNOW FOOD BANK

AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A

WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION AND MADE

DONATIONS AND THOUGHT, I JUST

LIKE THE SUPPORT, THE WORK THESE

GREAT PEOPLE ARE DOING.

BUT THEN I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO

VOLUNTEER ONE TIME AT THE BRONX

WAREHOUSE, AND THAT WAS A LIFE

CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR ME.

YOU KNOW, I'M A LAWYER.

I WORK HERE IN THIS OFFICE.

YOU SEE THE BOOKS.

LAWYERS ARE USED TO BEING IN

COURTROOMS, WORKING WITH CLIENTS

AND CONFERENCE ROOMS.

AND I WAS GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY

TO VOLUNTEER AT THE BRONX

WAREHOUSE.

I WENT UP THERE WITH A NUMBER OF

MY COLLEAGUES HERE AS WELL AS

ONE OF THE LAWYERS FROM ONE OF

OUR CLIENTS.

AND TOGETHER WE WENT UP THERE

AND WALKED INTO THIS 90,000

SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE STOCKED

FLOOR TO CEILING WITH FOOD TO

FIGHT HUNGER IN NEW YORK CITY,

AND IT WAS OVERWHELMING, AND

WHAT REALLY UNDERSCORED IT FOR

ME WAS THAT THE PERSON WHO WAS

GIVING US THE TOUR OF THE

WAREHOUSE TOLD US WHAT WE WERE

LOOKING AT WAS REALLY JUST

ENOUGH TO FEED NEW YORK FOR A

FEW DAYS.

AND I THOUGHT, I CAN'T GO BACK

TO MY DAY JOB AND KEEP DOING

WHAT I WAS DOING WITH THAT KIND

OF THING GOING ON AROUND ME IN A

CITY I LOVE SO MUCH.

I GREW UP IN AND AROUND NEW YORK

AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE.

>> LARRY, OTHERS WOULD HAVE GONE

IN THERE, SEEN THE SAME THINGS

YOU DO AND WOULD NOT HAVE

REACTED, WOULD NOT HAVE HAD THAT

KIND OF EFFECT ON THEM AS IT DID

ON YOU.

WHY DID IT HAVE THAT EFFECT ON

YOU?

>> I THINK IT WAS THE IMPACT OF

THE NEED AND REALIZE THERE ARE

GREAT PEOPLE AT FOOD BANK WHO

ARE WORKING DAY IN DAY OUT TO

SERVE THIS NEED.

AND AS MUCH AS I GREW UP HERE IN

NEW YORK, IT'S SOMETHING I

WANTED TO DO TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE.

BUT I'M A LAWYER.

THIS IS MY DAY JOB.

THIS IS WHAT I DO.

SO I THOUGHT LONG AND HARD, HOW

COULD I MAKE A DIFFERENCE DOING

WHAT I DO, AND I SAID, I KNOW

LAWYERS.

I HAVE LOTS OF CLIENTS AND KNOW

LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD FEEL

THE SAME WAY I DO IF I GAVE THEM

A CHANCE.

THAT'S WHAT WE DO.

NEW YORK IS A GREAT CITY.

THERE ARE LOTS OF ORGANIZATIONS

AND COMMUNITIES IN NEW YORK.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THING WE LOVE

ABOUT NEW YORK.

THERE ARE MANY LAWYERS HERE IN

NEW YORK.

AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO FEEL THE

SAME AS I DO, FOOD IS A

FUNDAMENTAL PART OF LIFE, AND A

LOT OF US CAN RELATE TO FOOD

INSECURITY AS A VISCERAL LEVEL.

AND I HAVE JUST FOUND THAT WHEN

YOU GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO SEE

WHAT FOOD BANK DOES, TO WORK

DIRECTLY WITH THE PEOPLE ON THE

FRONT LINE, AND PROVIDE

SOMETHING THAT HAS SUCH A

MEANINGFUL IMPACT TO THEM, IT

JUST -- IT'S A KIND OF

EXPERIENCE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL

GOOD AND MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD

ABOUT GIVING AND YOU GET MORE

OUT OF IT THAN YOU GIVE.

>> LESLIE, WE HAVE LESS THAN TWO

MINUTES LEFT BELIEVE IT OR NOT.

THE FOOD BANK PROVIDES THINGS

OTHER THAN FOOD, RIGHT?

IT HELPS NEW YORKERS NAVIGATE OR

COMPLEX TAX SYSTEM.

WHEN DID IT GET INVOLVED IN

THAT?

>> WE HAVE HAD A LONG LEGACY AND

PROUD COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE

THAT NOT ONLY DID PEOPLE HAVE

GOOD NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR TODAY,

BUT ALSO TO HELP LIFT THEM MORE

PERMANENTLY OUT OF A POSITION OF

HAVING TO REGULARLY VISIT A FOOD

PANTRY OR SOUP KITCHEN.

AND SO INCREDIBLY, US A JUST

SHARED, WE'RE ONE OF THE

NATION'S LARGEST TAX PREPARATION

ORGANIZATIONS.

TAX SEASON IS IN FULL SWING FOR

FOOD BANK AT NEW YORK CITY AND

ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.

WE HELP LOW-INCOME NEW YORKERS

PREPARE THEIR TAXES.

YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF, A FOOD

BANK AND TAXES?

HOW DOES THAT GO TOGETHER?

AND HOW IT WORKS IS ONE OF THE

BEST POVERTY FIGHTING MEASURES

IN THE UNITED STATES IS

SOMETHING CALLED EARNED INCOME

TAX CREDIT.

AND SO WE HELP PEOPLE TAKE

ADVANTAGE OF THAT WONDERFUL

PROGRAM, WHICH ALSO REWARDS

PEOPLE FOR WORKING AND FAMILIES

WITH CHILDREN.

AND THE AVERAGE RETURN IS

SOMETHING ABOUT $1,800 CASH,

WHICH IS TRANSFORMATIONAL.

>> QUICKLY, HAVE 30 SECONDS

LEFT.

PEOPLE WATCHING US ARE

INTERESTED, LESLIE, WHAT SHOULD

THEY DO?

30 SECONDS.

>> FIND YOURSELF IN OUR MISSION

AT FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY.

YOU CAN DONATE, ADVOCATE,

VOLUNTEER.

VISIT US AT FOODBANKNYC.ORG AND

OF COURSE LAW FIRMS AND LAWYERS

CAN BECOME PART OF JUSTICE

SERVED.

WE'LL HAVE TO END IT THERE.

THANKS, YOU GUYS FOR THE WORK

YOU DO AND FOR JOINING US TODAY.

>> OUR PLEASURE.