Tag Archives: food bank for nyc

Hurricane Sandy Recovery: Donate Locally

4 Nov

There are a number of organizations that do great work in NYC. They were doing it last week, and they continue to do so in the aftermath of Sandy. They feed, shelter, nurse, teach, and support our community of NYC. Some of them lost power, some of them lost everything. Now it’s our turn to help them..

Below is a list of organizations who are currently accepting donations which will go directly towards Hurricane Sandy relief in NY; for some, it will go directly to the people they support. For others, it will go towards rebuilding their headquarters or other damaged services vital to their continued operations.

Food Bank for New York City: As one of the country’s largest food banks, the Food Bank procures and distributes food to a network of more than 1,000 community-based member programs citywide, helping to provide 400,000 free meals a day for New Yorkers in need. In the aftermath of the storm, the need for food is even greater now. To make a donation, click here.

Little Shelter: This no-kill shelter in Huntington, LI has been open since 1927; I got my own dog there 11 years ago. Their facility suffered a lot of damage, including the cattery and second kennel. Staff on site managed to save all of the animals inside, but the buildings need extensive repair. To donate, click here.

The Ali Forney Center: AFC protects lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth from the harm of homelessness, and supports them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood. Their Drop-In Center in Chelsea was destroyed by flooding. They are currently scrambling for a plan to provide care to desperate kids while preparing to ultimately move into a larger space that will better meet their needs. To read an official statement and donate, click here.

Operation Wesley: Thousands of pets were displaced this week when Hurricane Sandy ripped through the Northeastern US. Operation Wesley wants to bring comfort to these less fortunate pets in New Jersey and New York by delivering pet food and supplies to the hardest hit areas. From now until Saturday, November 10th, they will be accepting mail packages; on Sunday and Monday items will be delivered. For a list of supplies needed and a shipping address, please visit their website: http://operationwesley.org/sandyhelp.html For more information about helping pets, visit the Naked K9’s Facebook Page.

Henry Street Settlement: They open doors of opportunity to enrich lives and enhance human progress for Lower East Side residents and other New Yorkers through social services, arts, and health care programs. They’ve been working tirelessly to help their LES community with food and warmth, even though their own facilities are in need of repair after flood damage from the storm. Please donate by clicking here.

Brooklyn Recovery Fund: This is a joint effort between the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to create a pooled fund to provide support to Brooklyn’s nonprofit organizations working with the communities and individuals most affected by Hurricane Sandy. To donate, click here.

Hope for New York: HFNY mission is to provide volunteer and financial resources to organizations serving the poor and marginalized of New York City. They are affiliated with a number of churches and shelters in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, including the Bowery Mission and NYC Rescue Mission. To donate funds or in-kind supplies, visit their website by clicking here.

Please know that I in no way discourage donating to the Red Cross, the Mayor’s Fund for NYC, FEMA, or any other organization helping recovery in our area and beyond. If you’d like to add any other organizations to this list, please email suggestions to giveandgetnyc@gmail.com.

Eating for a Cause at Boqueria

24 Mar
2011

This past Sunday was the eighth annual Time Out For Hunger event, where over 160 restaurants in New York City participated in giving 10% of their day’s proceeds to the Food Bank For NYC. Presented with Time Out New York, the Food Bank enlisted some of the best restaurants this city has to offer, from Lure Fishbar to the Russian Tea Room, all of the BLT spots and more. I had a hard time choosing, but wound up heading to Boqueria for an amazing brunch with my family. Since I could never snag a table on any prior attempts, just getting a seat was reason enough for celebration.

Boqueria, named after Barcelona’s world famous and spectacular market, claims it offers New Yorkers “the chance to dine as they would in Barcelona’s famed tapas bars without ever leaving town.” I’ve never been to Spain, but if it’s anything like Boqueria in the Flatiron district, sign me up. The vibe is relaxed and communal, with high tables and chairs allowing diners and staff to be at eye-level, which strangely feels like you’re just chit-chatting with a friend while also ordering food. Genius.

There were six of us, and even though the Brunch menu looked amazing, we opted to stick with the tapas y raciones menu so that we could taste (and eat) as much as possible. The first bite to arrive at the table were the bunuelos de bacalao, which are salt-cod fritters with citrus aioli; the fritters were crispy and delicious, and the sauce was put aside on the table for all future dipping. Next up were the dates stuffed with almonds and Valdeon (a type of cheese similar to blue cheese), wrapped in bacon. These were small enough to pop in your mouth and exploded with amazing flavor after crunching through the salty bacon: sweet, savory, it was all there. Other highlights from the meal included the sauteed wild mushrooms with manchego cheese (salteado de setas), chorizo frittatas, and the grilled baby squid (txipirones) with garlic and parsley crispy potatoes.

My favorite pick of the afternoon were the blistered shishito peppers with sea salt (pimientos de padron); blackened to perfection, these little Japanese peppers were unassuming, simple, and fresh. They are typically mild, but a few can sneak in (on our plate, 3) that are very spicy, so we took the liberty to play ‘fiery pepper roulette’ with the table; I lost twice, but really, I won! I left Boqueria pleasantly full and happy, knowing that the amazing meal we just had would be contributing to the programs at the Food Bank.

For every $1 donated to the Food Bank For New York City, 5 meals can be provided to New Yorkers in need. Last year, Time Out For Hunger raised close to 300,000 meals in one day. The final tally hasn’t been completed yet for 2011, but Boqueria alone raised about $1,900- that’s 9,500 meals!

 

For more information about Time Out for Hunger 2012, visit the Food Bank for NYC website.

Boqueria has two locations- 53 West 19th Street in the Flatiron District, and 171 Spring Street in Soho. To see their menu and contact information, visit their website at www.boquerianyc.com

8th Annual Time Out For Hunger

16 Mar

On Sunday March 20th, 2011 you can dine out in New York City and donate to the Food Bank for NYC at the same time. How you ask? It’s simple: go to one of over 150 participating restaurants and eat a delicious meal; the rest will be taken care of, as 10% of the day’s proceeds will be donated to the Food Bank. These restaurants are the favorites of Time Out New York, every New Yorker’s go-to magazine for the city’s weekly offerings, so you can rest assured that no matter which place you choose you’ll be leaving full and happy. Since there are so many to choose from, I’ll help you out by listing my top picks (all NY’ers are self-proclaimed foodies and I’m no exception):

Bombay Talkie
189 Ninth Avenue

Txikito
240 9th Avenue

Porchetta
110 East 7th Street

Dos Toros Taqueria
137 4th Avenue

The Mermaid Inn
568 Amsterdam

Las Ramblas
170 West 4th Street

Bark Hot Dogs (BK)
474 Bergen Street

Motorino Brooklyn (BK)
319 Graham Avenue

For a complete list that will be updated until the day of the event, click here. Will you be dining out for hunger? If so, where?!

Chocolate for Charity

11 Feb
2011

Before you dive into that cheap box of chocolates from CVS, check out this walking tour in Soho and Greenwich Village. On Sunday, February 13th ‘Walking Tours Manhattan’ will be your guide to all of the best confectioneries in the area. You’ll start with Kee’s Chocolates, and hit up Vosges and The Best Chocolate Cake in the World (yes, thats a store) before arriving at the last stop, Payard Bakery, maker of one of the finest eclairs you’ll ever eat. If you’ve never heard of these places, or are just looking for a nice person to show you around the village and school you on some downtown knowledge, this is your chance!

To help support the good work of the Food Bank For New York City, a non-profit I know and love that helps feed hungry people all over NYC, Walking Tours Manhattan is asking for a $5.00 donation per person. 100% of donations go to charity. If you’d like to donate online, please go to Pay Pal at; http://www.paypal.com and send your contribution to; sales@walkingtoursmanhattan.com

Meet your tour guide with the red ball cap saying “Walking Tours Manhattan!” on Sunday February 13, at 11:00am at Kee’s Chocolates, 80 Thompson Street between Spring and Broome. Walking distance is 1 1/4 mile, and the tour lasts about 1 ½ hours. Purchases are optional and not included.