Rescuing Families in Need

Increased Influx requests to meet Covid-19/ Corona Virus crisisUrban Food Alliance has been feeding the needy for over 2 years. The current health crisis has led to a spike in the demand for our services. During this Covid-19/Corona Virus crisis, many of us are lucky to be in a house, staying with our loved ones. 

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Early one evening last week, I was about to have dinner with my family when I received a call.  A concerned voice told me that more than 30 homeless families (whom we feed on a weekly basis in my township) did not have food that evening. At that time our local social services were already closed.  Some of these families have children.  I have two kids myself, and I cannot imagine how bad I would feel if my kids would be crying for food. What would I do if my children asked me when they would get to eat, and I wouldn't have an answer?  What would you do?

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In an article in The Hill on 3/17/20, Daphne Hernandez wrote, “On a daily basis, one in seven households with children are affected by the lack of access to food, or food insecurity.”  She went on to explain that the current health crisis has the most severe consequences for those with lower incomes: “Low-income families usually work at jobs that do not have paid sick leave. And many are paid hourly, so reduced work hours will impact their paycheck, which will further hinder their ability to afford food.” Children in low-income families become the most vulnerable victims because their parents may no longer be able to buy basic necessities, and they can no longer rely on healthy meals at schools now that most school districts have closed their doors.

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Well, I am lucky to be part of a community where we have many generous people, and several have come forward and help unconditionally in this Covid-19/Corona Virus crisis. The concerned voice on the phone that evening belonged to my friend and Urban Food Alliance co-founder Jawad Younus. I could sense his strong emotions from the other end of the line. We quickly ended up sending Pizza to the families in need. It is becoming clear that our weekly meal distribution efforts are not enough during this time. The demand for meals keeps increasing, and we are also seeing an influx of requests for other basic household items.

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Unfortunately, we cannot satisfy these needs unless we receive a similar influx in donations. All around us during these trying times, we see neighbors helping neighbors, strangers helping strangers, and those who are able helping those who need help. I am calling on you today to help as well. 

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Our philosophy at Urban Food Alliance is that nobody should go hungry, regardless of their status, race, or political or religious affiliations. We do not require our clients to provide us with personal information in order to determine whether or not they qualify for our services.

 

How can you help?

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1. Monetary donations will help us keep our program strong in this time of crisis. Please donate as generously as you can via our website! We accept both one-time and recurring donations.

https://www.urbanfoodalliance.org/donately

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2. If your company has a program that matches charitable donations, please inform them of your support for us.  Your donation will double in size if your company agrees to match it!

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3. You can drop off non-perishable food for Urban Food Alliance at Khan Baba Restaurant located on Rt. 27 in Franklin Park between the hours of 10 am 8 pm.

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4. Spread the news about our cause among your social media contacts to help us reach a wider audience of donors, volunteers or those in need.

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5. Volunteer from home if you have the skills to help us. We welcome people who can help us with administrative work, outreach efforts, etc. You can email us at contactus@urbanfoodalliance.org

 Resources: https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/488055-what-coronavirus-means-for-food-insecurity