Food Bank For New York City Launches 10th Annual "Go Orange To End Hunger"™ Campaign During September's Hunger Action Month

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Food Bank For New York City, the city's major hunger relief organization, is launching its 10th annual monthlong Go Orange to End Hunger™ campaign, with lead presenting sponsor Barilla, during September's Hunger Action Month.  Go Orange is an award-winning campaign owned by Food Bank. The organization was the first in the nation to embrace the color orange as the symbol of hunger awareness.  Go Orange has since been recognized as a citywide call to action for all New Yorkers to get involved and take action in support of the 1.5 million New Yorkers who rely on Food Bank For New York City and its citywide network of charities.  

Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank For New York City's programs and services.  During the past year, the organization has seen the need for emergency food in our city increase while the resources required to combat hunger and poverty have decreased.  The number of meals that vulnerable New Yorkers are missing due to lack of sufficient resources tops a staggering 241 million, representing an enormous Meal Gap.  The Meal Gap, adapted as the City's official measure of food insecurity, has now been geographically mapped to reveal where hunger lives - enabling Food Bank to allocate resources to areas with the highest need across New York City. Go Orange to End Hunger™ encourages all New Yorkers to take action and assist Food Bank in meeting those needs.

"As a leader in the city's anti-hunger response, we are committed to ensuring a better understanding of hunger's reality and an improved response to its ending," said Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City.  "With the city's safety net facing increasing threats and unmet need, people are suffering citywide. A Meal Gap of 241 million meals is unacceptable and we cannot resolve this alone.  That's why Go Orange To End Hunger™ is so important.  We encourage all New Yorkers to get involved and become part of the solution."

"Barilla is proud to sponsor and participate in Go Orange to End Hunger," said Jean-Pierre Comte, President of Barilla, Region Americas. "It is our mission to provide healthy foods that are good for the planet and the communities that we serve, and encourage all New Yorkers to join Barilla and the Food Bank in their commitment to closing the Meal Gap."

Individuals, corporations, restaurants, retailers, volunteers, and celebrities are committed to Going Orange during September's Hunger Action Month with a number of citywide Go Orange efforts, kicking off on September 1.  There are numerous ways to get involved:

• Join Barilla as they Share The Table With New York City, through a mobile kitchen tour from Tuesday, September 8 through Friday, September 11.  The Barilla mobile kitchen will make one stop per day across four boroughs —Manhattan, Queens, Bronx and Brooklyn —offering free, healthy lunches to community members.
• Host a Virtual Food Drive (VFD). Individuals can go it alone, or enlist friends, family, co-workers and employees. The donation is virtual, but the help is real!  Virtual Food Drives allow Food Bank to provide more food than a traditional canned food drive thanks to Food Bank's dynamic wholesale purchasing power.  When participating in a VFD, shoppers shop online on a customized website, selecting a donation that represents the value of foods they want to purchase. They then pay for the cost of those items, generating donations directly to Food Bank.  Ask your employer to match your donation!
• Groups are encouraged to roll up their sleeves and join Food Bank for Warehouse Wednesdays starting September 2.  Groups of 25+  are invited to volunteer at Food Bank's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx for "after work" repacks of donated food that will be distributed to New Yorkers in need citywide.  Private busing to the location from midtown Manhattan, as well as food and beverages, will be provided.  
• The New York Yankees will celebrate Go Orange with a special Go Orange Awareness Day on Tuesday, September 8, including an on-field ceremony before the game, recognizing Food Bank For New York City for its work citywide. 
• Shop to Stop Hunger on Wednesday, September 16 at iconic fashion accessories retailer Henri Bendel, which is hosting an event at its Fifth Avenue flagship location in midtown Manhattan.  The event is free and open to the public. Guests can mix and mingle with celebrities, grab some treats and Shop! Shop! Shop! 10% of the sales will benefit Food Bank.
• Go Orange Awareness Day is Thursday, September 17. The city's iconic landmark, the Empire State Building, will be lit orange with a ceremony featuring NHL Star and Food Bank Ambassador Henrik Lundquist.  Delta Air Lines Terminal Tower at JFK Airport is lighting orange to remind all New Yorkers to Go Orange to End Hunger™. To celebrate Go Orange Awareness Day, wear orange, donate, advocate, volunteer! Every $1 donation helps Food Bank provide five meals! Visit www.FoodBanknyc.org/GoOrange to learn more about ALL the ways to get involved.  Share how you are Going Orange by using #GoOrangeNYC in your social posts.
• Stop by JustSalad (locations across NYC) throughout the month of September. Purchase an Orange Reusable bowl and $1 will be donated to Food Bank For New York City. 
• Don't miss Family Repack Day on Saturday, September 19 at Food Bank's Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx.  Food Bank will open its doors to welcome families with children of all ages to help pack, sort and enjoy a day of giving back. Volunteers needed! 
• Food Bank For New York City will host its first Farm to Food Bank Food Drive in partnership with Greenmarket, GrowNYC, on September 21 at Union Square from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.  After you shop, stop by and donate some of your fresh fruit and vegetables to Food Bank to help ensure that all New Yorkers have access to healthy nutritious meals. Last year, Food Bank distributed 18 million pounds of fresh produce to New Yorkers in need.
• The 12^th Annual NYC Dumpling Festival, will be held on Saturday, September 26 in honor of the worldwide snack, the dumpling, at Sarah D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan.  Popular vendors from around the city will be featured at this event to share their diverse dumplings. 100% of the net proceeds will benefit Food Bank For New York City.  Volunteers needed!
• Food Bank will Go Orange to DC on Wednesday, September 29 for its annual Anti-Hunger Advocacy Day in Washington to let Congress know about the organization's specific priorities related to child nutrition reauthorization and funding, along with other needs in our communities.

Food Bank will also have a visible Times Square presence.  Thomson Reuters and NASDAQ have donated space to Go Orange on their renowned digital billboards for the month of September which will feature programs and photographs of families served by Food Bank.  Images featured on the billboards will include powerful portraits of New Yorkers as documented by photographer Joey O'Loughlin, who has partnered with Food Bank For New York City to reveal the hidden face of hunger in New York City.

Go Orange to End Hunger™ is made possible by Barilla, Lead Presenting Sponsor; Delta Air Lines, Supporting Sponsor; and Deutsche Bank and Lavazza, Campaign Sponsors.  For additional information, volunteer opportunities and activations, go to www.foodbanknyc.org/GoOrange

About Food Bank For New York City:
Food Bank For New York City has been the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 64 million free meals for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City's income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $150 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. In addition, Food Bank's nutrition education programs and services empower more than 275,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet on a low budget.

To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org.  Follow us on Facebook (FoodBank4NYC), Twitter  (@FoodBank4NYC) and Instagram (FoodBank4NYC). To donate, visit www.foodbanknyc.org/donate.  To become a partner, visit www.foodbanknyc.org/partner.  To volunteer, visit volunteer.foodbanknyc.org.  To advocate, visit www.foodbanknyc.org/advocate. To host a Virtual Food Drive, visit www.foodbanknyc.org/vfd.  To receive Food Bank For New York City's CEO E-Newsletter, visit www.foodbanknyc.org/email.

Media Contacts:
Shruti Sehgal, [email protected], 646-200-5283
Carol Schneider, [email protected], 212-566-7855, ext. 2231

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SOURCE Food Bank For New York City

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http://www.foodbanknyc.org