WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES DECEMBER 30, 2021 13
Providing food — and hope — for people and pets across NYC
BY LESLIE GORDON AND MATT
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.
“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% of Food Bank
for New York City partner agencies reported
an increase in fi rst-time visitors.
And even as the need for food rose, 47%
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,
OP-ED
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 no-cost 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 fi nger
but off er 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
unaff ected 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
diff erence 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 diff erent
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 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.
Matt Bershadker is the CEO of the
ASPCA. Leslie Gordon is the CEO of Food
Bank for NYC.
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