Entering its second year, the partnership between FreshDirect and NY Common Pantry will focus on the debut of a branded Mobile Pantry in late spring 2021. The NYCP Mobile Pantry will be a fully equipped vehicle which will travel the streets of the city, bringing fresh food, nutrition education, and social services (currently available at NYCP’s East Harlem and Bronx locations), directly to food insecure New Yorkers throughout the five boroughs.
Executives from FreshDirect’s operations team provided counsel on the design of the vehicle and special features to maximize the service offerings of the mobile pantry. This latest innovation in the fight against food insecurity and hunger was made possible by FreshDirect customer donations.
Since its launch in February 2020, this partnership has raised $3 million in donations from FreshDirect customers who have contributed to NYCP at the point-of-sale. Donation options range from $1.25 (the cost of one pantry meal) to $100 (the cost of one year of pantry groceries for a family in need) on FreshDirect.com.
“At FreshDirect, there is no shortage of passion for what we do. Partnering with the incredible dedicated team at NY Common Pantry delivers new purpose to that passion, enabling our employees to give back and contribute in meaningful ways,” said David McInerney, CEO, FreshDirect, in statement. “We are so proud of our collaboration and the many achievements in our first year. There’s still more work to be done and we look forward to expanding our collective efforts to serve our city’s vulnerable communities and continue the fight against food insecurity, providing our neighbors with access to fresh, quality food.”
When COVID-19 hindered the availability of NYCP volunteers to pick, pack, and distribute pantry bags, FreshDirect turned over part of its operation to sourcing, packing, and delivering fresh food to the NYCP facilities. In addition, as part of the partnership, FreshDirect is also providing office space at its state-of-the-art facility in the Bronx, to the NYCP’s Bronx-based corporate employees at no cost to the organization.
“Our partnership with FreshDirect has been nothing short of extraordinary. Their assistance in helping us shape our COVID-19 operations so we could continue to serve the community, their joining us in providing a hot Thanksgiving lunch, and of course their customers donating $3 million dollars to support our fellow New Yorkers is absolutely remarkable," said Stephen Grimaldi, executive director, NYCP, in a statement. "Our new Mobile Pantry is the perfect example of how the generous support and donations from FreshDirect customers can fund our innovation and provide more programs and needed offerings to NYCP members by going directly into neighborhoods.”
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Image: FreshDirect