FeedingNYC’s annual charity event delivers 5,000 meals to shelters
BY DEAN MOSES
With Thanksgiving less than 48
hours away, FeedingNYC has
made a last-ditch effort to feed
some of New York’s most needy residents
before the holiday commences.
On Nov. 24, at Chelsea Piers—specifically
Pier 60—40 volunteers braved the
early hours of the frigid morning (in
rotating shifts from 12 am to 11 am)
packing over 5,000 Thanksgiving meals
to families in shelters across New York
City. The homeless population has grown
immensely since the COVID-19 pandemic
hit the U.S over eight months ago, which
when combined with drastic food shortages
has created a perfect storm of misery
that countless families have endured this
year.
In an effort to elevate a modicum of
that suffering—at least for one day—Win
(Women in Need) and FeedingNYC
teamed up to distribute over 5,000 turkeys,
adding a grand total of 85,000 dinners that
have now been delivered by this nearly two
decade old charity event.
Founded by LivePerson CEO Robert
LoCascio, this annual event aims to aid
those living in shelters by supplying the
underprivileged with hearty, holiday meals.
What may appear to be a simple turkey to
some can be a symbol of normalcy and
hope for those who are in need, according
to LoCasico.
“The thing about the crisis today is that
people are in need, and those in shelters
need to eat. FeedingNYC is about them and
their families,” LoCascio told The Villager.
He underscored that children are affected
by the social stigma behind homelessness.
A disconnect between families is created
when children see their friends celebrating
the holiday with a turkey meal, a luxury
they themselves don’t have access to. “This
is a single act. Anyone can do anything to
touch one person,” he added.
FeedingNYC was initially created after
the 911 terror attacks to help families
struggling to rebuild. Now, almost twenty
years later, the project hopes to aid in the
wake of another disaster: COVID-19. Social
distancing has reduced the volunteer
workforce from 600 to 40 while supplies
were even more difficult to gather due to
shortages. Food insecurity has skyrocketed
thanks to the pandemic, along with job loss,
isolation from loved ones, and an onslaught
of economic and resource disparities, affecting
the black, brown families disproportionately.
It is with this sentiment in
mind, FeedingNYC’s main focus during this
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
distribution will be coordinating with WIN,
the metropolitan area’s largest provider of
shelter services for women and children.
Despite the hurdles, FeedingNYC is determined
to help as many people as possible
this year with four delivery trucks on deck
and at least one shelter in each borough
receiving a delivery.
Hate crimes begin to spike amid uptick
in victims of anti-trans attacks
BY MATT TRACY
GAY CITY NEWS
Hate crimes soared nationwide last
year to new heights not seen in
more than a decade, according to
new FBI data, and there was an increase in
the number of victims targeted on the basis
of gender identity.
The 2019 nationwide statistics were
announced just weeks after the NYPD
reported fresher numbers showing a more
recent drop in hate crimes this year compared
to last year in New York City.
But the release of the annual nationwide
FBI report, which includes information on
race, sexual orientation, gender identity,
and other demographics, revealed concerning
longer-term patterns. Law enforcement
agencies logged 7,314 criminal incidents,
according to the FBI, for a total of 8,559
related offenses. Last year marked an
increase of nearly 200 criminal incidents
from the year before and represented the
third consecutive year with at least 7,100
criminal incidents across the United States.
The cases overwhelmingly pertained to
single-issue bias incidents, 57.6% of which
were tied to offenders’ bias in relation to
race, ethnicity, or ancestry.
Members of the Proud Boys have been egged on the hate-filled drivel flowing
from President Donald Trump’s mouth.
The number of victims who were
targeted on the basis of gender identity
increased from 189 last year to 227 this
year. Meanwhile, there were 1,429 victims
targeted for their sexual orientation in 2019
compared to 1,445 victims last year.
Of the bias incidents that were motivated
by homophobia in 2019, 28% occurred in
or near residences, 22% happened on highways,
roads, alleys, streets, or sidewalks,
REUTERS
and 7.3% were at schools or colleges. Gender
identity-based crimes showed a somewhat
similar pattern, with 25.8 percent of
such incidents occurring at a residence or
home and 25.3% happening on highways,
roads, alleys, streets, or sidewalks.
Time will tell whether those numbers
will improve this year, but some encouraging
signs are emerging out of New York
City. Hate crimes have dipped by 34% so
far this year in the five boroughs. There
were 26 sexual orientation-related hate
crimes through November 1 of this year
compared to 44 at the same point last
year — a 41 percent decrease — though
the chart provided by the NYPD does not
specify a category for gender identity.
Anti-Muslim hate crimes dipped by 75%
in the five boroughs, anti-Semitic hate
crimes were reduced by 49%, and hate
crimes targeting Hispanic individuals decreased
by 83%. Thirty-three hate crimes
targeted Black individuals, up from 32 at
the same point last year, and anti-Asian
hate crimes remained the same.
The nationwide and local numbers are
surfacing during a record-breaking year of
violence targeting transgender, gender nonconforming,
and non-binary individuals
across the nation, especially trans women
of color.
At least 37 transgender or non-binary individuals
have suffered violent deaths this
year across the nation and many families
are still seeking justice for those victims.
Due to a patchwork system of state laws,
many locations lack non-discrimination
protections or hate crimes laws protecting
individuals on the basis of sexual orientation
or gender identity.
4 November 26, 2020 Schneps Media