Providing food — and hope — for
people and pets across New York CIty
By Leslie Gordon & Mattt
Bershadker
A hallmark of the holiday
season is compassion—a spirit
of appreciation and generosity
that can extend to both
vulnerable people and pets in
need. Typically, we see those
acts as separate, but in many
ways, they are connected. In
the work of both human social
services and animal welfare,
it’s become clear that when you
help people, you help pets, and
when you help pets, you help
people.
One of the most practical
and direct ways to act on this
understanding is to address the
needs of both pets and people
in a shared setting. Nowhere is
this better illustrated than in
the partnership between Food
Bank For New York City and
the ASPCA® (The American
Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals®), which
have collaborated for the last
four years to serve both human
and pet food in soup kitchens
and food pantries across the
city.
The impact of this partnership
and philosophy is vividly
represented in personal stories,
such as the experience of Jeannette
Joseph-Greenaway, who
works at the Agatha House
Foundation in the Bronx. In
addition to distributing pet
food at her main pantry, Jeannette
also delivers it to animal
clinics around her neighborhood.
She bears constant witness
to strong bonds between
people and their pets.
Getty Images
“Most times, the concern is
for children and families, but
the importance of pets can’t go
unnoticed,” she told us. “Some
animals serve therapeutic purposes,
and some are the only
family our clients have.”
Finding innovative ways to
address food insecurity is more
important than ever. An estimated
1.6 million New Yorkers
are currently food insecure, a
situation made more severe by
the spread of COVID-19. More
than 93 percent of The Food
Bank For New York City partner
agencies reported an increase
in first-time visitors. And even
Contributing Writers: Azad Ali, Tangerine Clarke,
Nelson King, Vinette K. Pryce, Bert Wilkinson
GENERAL INFORMATION (718) 260-2500
Caribbean Life, D 10 ecember 24-30, 2021
as the need for food rose, 47
percent of Food Bank partner
agencies across New York City
were forced to close temporarily
due to COVID restrictions.
On the animal side, increases
in poverty had a dramatic
impact. Recent data collected
by the ASPCA estimates
that more than 4.2 million pets
entered poverty due to the economic
fallout of COVID-19. In
response to immediate regional
needs during the start of the
pandemic, the ASPCA opened
pet food distribution centers
in several cities, including New
York City, that ultimately provided
more than 1,900 tons
of emergency food for dogs,
cats, and horses to struggling
owners.
From July 2020 through
June 2021, Food Bank For
New York City distributed over
307,000 pounds of pet food to
89 agencies in its member network
through the ASPCA partnership.
In addition to serving
an immediate need, the free
food also frees up money that
struggling families and individuals
can put toward other
crucial household needs.
The free pet food also
includes information pet owners
can use to access a range
of services provided by the
ASPCA, including low-and nocost
veterinary care and spay/
neuter surgeries.
When pet owners struggle,
so do their pets, and the
appropriate response to that
challenge is not to point a finger
but offer a hand. Though
some people wrongly assume
that low-income and housing
insecure pet owners care
less for their pets than others,
numerous studies—and
personal experiences by both
of our teams—demonstrate
that the loving bonds and deep
dependencies between people
and their pets are unaffected
by income level or living situations.
Most pet owners love and
want to care for their pets; the
only difference is their depth of
resources.
A bag of cat kibble makes a
powerful difference for people
faced with nearly-impossible
choices when they can’t meet
all of their critical responsibilities.
Just one form of support
can help a person or family
overcome several different
challenges.
Compassion can take many
forms, but none may be more
valuable than the kind that
instantly delivers nourishment
and safety, and supports and
preserves entire families, pets
included. Something as simple
as free food—even in a place as
busy and complicated as New
York City—can do that all that
and more.
Please visit the Food Bank
For New York City website and
look for the “Get Involved” tab
to learn how to volunteer, advocate,
and contribute.
Leslie Gordon is the CEO of
Food Bank For NYC
Matt Bershadker is the CEO
of the ASPCA
OP-EDS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome from all readers. They should be addressed care of this newspaper to the Editor,
Caribbean-Life Publications, 1 MetroTech Center North, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or sent via e-mail to caribbeanlife@
schnepsmedia.com. All letters, including those submitted via e-mail, MUST be signed and the individual’s verifiable address
and telephone number included. Note that the address and telephone number will NOT be published and the name will
be published or withheld on request. No unsigned letters can be accepted for publication. The editor reserves the right to
edit all submissions.
Founded 1990 • Published by Brooklyn Courier Life LLC
A DIVISION OF SCHNEPS MEDIA
Corporate Headquarters: One Metrotech Center North, Suite 1001, Brooklyn, NY 11201
PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER: Victoria Schneps-Yunis
CEO & CO-PUBLISHER: Joshua Schneps
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Ralph D’Onofrio
EDITOR EMERITUS: Kenton Kirby
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kevin Williams
This newspaper is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied
by the error. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2021 by Brooklyn Courier Life LLC. Caribbean
Life is protected by Federal copyright law. Each issue of Caribbean Life is registered with the Library
of Congress, Washington, D.C. The Caribbean Life, its advertisements, articles and photographs, may
not be reproduced, either in whole or part, without permission in writing from the publisher except
brief portions for purposes of review or commentary consistent with the law.
/schnepsmedia.com
