SAVING HUNGRY NEW YORKERS

> 35 YEARS AGO THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CITY HARVEST WAS FOUNDED BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZED TWO MAJOR PROBLEMS FACING OUR CITY, HUNGER AND FOOD WASTE.

THESE PIONEERS TOOK A FOOD VAN TO RESTAURANTS ALL OVER MANHATTAN TO RESCUE FOOD BY DELIVERING IT TO SOUP KITCHENS.

TODAY THEY'RE HELPING MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION NEW YORKERS.

WE'RE SHINING A LIGHT ON THE GOOD WORK OF CITY HARVEST.

HERE WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION ON WHAT THE ORGANIZATION IS UP TO IS CITY HARVEST CEO JILLIE STEVENS.

JILLIE, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

THANK YOU FOR SLHAVING ME.

WITH SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE CITY HARVEST PROGRAM, TELL US WHAT YOU DO.

CITY HARVEST IS ON THE ROAD SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, RESCUING GREAT FOOD FROM RESTAURANTS, WHOLESALERS ACROSS THE REGION AND GETTING THAT GREAT FOOD TO HUNGRY NEW YORKERS.

WE'RE SERVING CLOSE TO 1.3 MILLION NEW YORKERS.

MANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE HOMELESS.

MANY MORE HAVE HOMES, HAVE JOBS, JUST IN ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, IF NOT THE MOST EXPENSIVE.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET BY, PAY RENT, UTILITY COSTS AND STILL HAVE MONEY TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.

NEW YORK ALSO SEES KIDS WHO HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING FREE LUNCHES AT SCHOOLS AS WELL.

RECENTLY THERE WAS A MOVE TO MAKE UNIVERSAL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FREE FOR NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN, WHICH WAS A GREAT ADVANCE FOR THE CITY.

CLOSE TO ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN IN NEW YORK CITY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL IS GOING TO COME FROM.

SO THAT SCHOOL MEAL IS ESPECIALLY CRITICAL FOR THEM.

CITY HARVEST WORKS HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT AGENCIES LIKE SOUP KITCHENS AND FOOD PANTRIES HAVE WHAT THEY NEED THEN TO SUPPORT THESE FAMILIES DURING THOSE LONG SUMMER WEEKS WHEN SCHOOL'S OUT AND FAMILIES NEED EXTRA FOOD TO HELP KEEP THEIR CHILDREN GOING.

SO A LOT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GOOD ADVANCES.

WITH SO MUCH TALK ABOUT HOW PEOPLE NEED TO LESSEN THEY WERE FOOTPRINT AND USE LESS.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS THE RESTAURANTS, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WOULD IMPACT A GROUP LIKE CITY HARVEST, BUT IF THE RESTAURANTS JUST USED LESS FOOD, THEN THEY WOULDN'T HAVE ALL THIS EXCESS WASTE.

IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION, BECAUSE CITY HARVEST WAS FOUNDED 35 YEARS AGO.

WE WERE FOUNDED BY VOLUNTEER WHO WENT TO RESTAURANTS TO PICK UP THAT EXTRA FOOD TO DELIVER IT TO SOUP KITCHENS AND FOOD PANTRIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

OF THE FOOD THAT WE COLLECT, VERY LITTLE OF IT WILL COME FROM RESTAURANTS.

RESTAURANTS DO A VERY GOOD JOB, THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH LEFT OVER FOOD.

WE'RE BRINGING IN ATRACTOR TRAILER LOADS, A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

A LOT OF THE FOOD THAT WE RESCUE IS FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

SO THAT'S COMING UP IN LARGE QUANTITIES.

IMAGINE A FARMER UPSTATE WHO'S GROWN A FIELD OF RADISHES AND THEY'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO BIG.

CITY HARVEST CAN GET THOSE RADISHES.

NOW WE CAN GET THAT FOOD AND GET IT OUT TO THE FAMILIES WHO NEED IT.

THE FARMERS ARE NOT LOSING THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE CROP, AND SO A LOT OF OUR FOOD IS COMING THAT WAY NOW, BIG, BIG TRUCKS AND LARGE SCALE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GROWN INTO ITS OWN ECONOMY AT THIS POINT.

IT REALLY HAS.

AND WE'RE NOT GROWING FOR THE SAKE OF GROWING, WE'RE GROWING BECAUSE THE HUNGER AND THE NEED IN NEW YORK CITY IS STILL PERSISTENTLY HIGH.

WITH 1.3 MILLION NEW YORKERS NOT ALWAYS KNOWING WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM, AND CLOSE TO HALF OF FOLKS IN THE CITY IN FACT, STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET, WE HAVE TO GROW AND HELP PEOPLE PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.

BECAUSE FOOD IS AN ELASTIC EXPENSE.

YOU CAN'T DECIDE NOT TO PAY YOUR RENT OR ELECTIELECTRICITY, BUT N DECIDE TO GO TO A SOUP KITCHEN OR A FOOD PANTRY.

THERE CONDI CONTINUES TO BE IN THE CITY.

IT CALLS FOR US TO FIND MORE FOOD, GET IT INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE NEARLY 1.3 MILLION NEW YORKERS, CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE AGENCIES THAT WE TAKE THAT FOOD TO, IS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE A GREATER VARIETY.

SO WE'RE PUTTING EMPHASIS ON IF WE CAN GET SOME DIFFERENT FRUITS, IF WE CAN GET THE CITRUS IN, THE GOODS ALWAYS LOVE THE CITRUS THAT WE CAN DELIVER.

WE ARE CONTINUING TO GROW, AND THERE'S STILL A LOT TO DO TO GET FOOD TO OUR HUNGRY MAKES.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND TELLING US WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO FOR THE PAST 35 YEARS.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.