Bringing together local leaders, independent
restaurants and community organizations, new
program addresses recent surge in food insecurity
NEW
YORK, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Continued
fallout from the pandemic and the rise in grocery prices due to
inflation means more New Yorkers are facing food insecurity, and
Grubhub's Serving the City is partnering with members of the New
York City Council to help address the need. Launching tomorrow, the
program will run for at least 16 weeks and expects to deliver
25,000 meals to communities in need across each of the City
Council's 51 districts.
"Grubhub launched Serving the City to help address the surge in
food insecurity which is up 36% citywide—and 46% among children,"
said Adam DeWitt, Grubhub
CEO. "And as with every community-first initiative, locking
arms with local leaders helps ensure we maximize our impact by
focusing on those who need it most. We're off to an amazing start,
and we can't wait to roll this program out across the entire city
as soon as possible."
Tomorrow, at an event with Speaker Adrienne Adams (District 28), Serving the City
will bring 500 meals from Unique Eats to two senior residences:
Calvary Baptist Senior Housing (CALBAC)
and Northeastern Towers Annex.
"Food insecurity remains a challenge for many New Yorkers,
including residents who live in District 28," said Speaker
Adrienne Adams. "Small
businesses and restaurants are also struggling to recover from the
pandemic, and need support from community partners. Grubhub's new
Serving the City initiative will bring together elected officials,
local eateries, and residents to deliver meals to those who need it
most. I thank Grubhub, Unique Eats, Calvary
Baptist Senior Housing, Northeastern Towers Annex, and other
partners throughout New York City
for being part of this new innovative program."
Last month, Grubhub kicked off a pilot of the program with
Council Member Julie Menin (District 5), purchasing 500 meals from
family-owned restaurant Mansion Diner and distributing them to area
residents at The Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center.
Additionally, in coordination with Council Member Majorie Velazquez
(District 13), Grubhub purchased 500 meals from Havana Cafe that
were distributed at the Throggs Neck Community Alliance.
"Grubhub's Serving the City initiative is an excellent
partnership between community leaders, small businesses and an
online food ordering company," said Council Member Julie
Menin, Chair of the City Council Small Business Committee. "By
partnering with our local restaurants, GrubHub is truly committing
dedicated resources to combating hunger in New York City."
Over the next three months, Grubhub's Serving the City will work
with Council Members to help identify locations for meal
distribution including housing authorities, senior centers and
community organizations in their district. Local, independent
restaurants will provide more than 500 meals at one or more
distribution events per district.
The COVID-19 pandemic and recent rise in grocery prices have
increased food insecurity across the nation, impacting nearly 1.5
million New Yorkers, including one in four children.
"The Isaacs Center is proud to partner with Grubhub, Council
Member Julie Menin and the Mansion Diner in taking one more step
towards eliminating hunger and food security in our community,"
said Roderick L. Jones, president
of the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center.
Serving the City is the latest effort from Grubhub to help close
the hunger gap. The company is a leading supporter of the Food
Donation Improvement Act, which encourages companies to donate
surplus food and grocery products to nonprofits by providing civil
and criminal liability protection to food donors and food recovery
organizations. Grubhub also partners with organizations fighting
food insecurity, including Food Bank for NYC, Boys and Girls Clubs,
and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, a food rescue non-profit
headquartered in New York City
that purchases meals from minority and women-owned restaurants that
are donated back into the community to food insecure families.
Grubhub Community Fund grants to these and other related
organizations totaled more than $2
million in 2021.
For more information about Grubhub's Community Impact programs,
visit https://about.grubhub.com/community/programs/.
Supporting Voices
"GrubHub's Serving The City is taking bold initiative in
combating the food insecurity that has been exacerbated by the
pandemic," said Council Member Marjorie Velázquez. "I was
thrilled to partner with them and local restaurant Havana Café to
provide meals and produce at Throggs Neck Community Alliance."
"We were so excited to partner with Grubhub's Serving the City
program, along with Council Member Marjorie Velazquez, to provide
nutritious and delicious meals from a local favorite restaurant,
Havana Cafe," said Angela Torres,
director of Throggs Neck Community Alliance. "The pandemic and
current inflation conditions have further weighed upon our
community in the Bronx, but these
meals were a welcome treat that brought nutrition and hope into the
lives of our residents. On behalf of Throggs Neck Community
Alliance, we extend our gratitude and cannot wait to see this
project continue to make a profound impact."
"Food insecurity is something that quite frankly is unacceptable
in a city and, for that matter, a country like ours," said
John Phillips, 3rd generation
owner of The Mansion Diner. "Millions of pounds of food are
thrown in the garbage every single year, which is why we jumped at
the chance to partner with NYC's largest food delivery service to
give back to the community which supports us all."
"Upon opening Unique Eats NYC, it has been my mission to provide
healthier, more diverse food options for the community," said
Chef Uniqua Grant, owner of
Unique Eats NYC. "We pride ourselves on serving fresh,
locally-sourced products which are always made to order! It's an
honor to Serve The City."
About Grubhub
Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY),
a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to
connecting more than 32 million diners with the food they love from
their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering
through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and
an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 320,000
restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.
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SOURCE Grubhub