Food Bank Feeds The Hungry

Lucy Cabrera is up against a lot. As CEO of Food Bank New York City, she has to worry about raising money. She has to make sure the donated food is properly stored so it doesn’t get rancid or moldy. She has to keep an eye on Albany to make sure no legislation is passed which will make the lines at the soup kitchens longer.
And on top of all that she has to oversee a network of senior centers, soup kitchens and food pantries that provide 240,000 meals every day to New Yorkers.
Cabrera began in the corporate world in the 1980s. At the time, the environment was not very friendly toward women or minorities so when a neighbor asked her to join Easter Seals, she agreed. In 1988 she started working as the CEO for the New York City Food Bank.
Since Cabrera began at the food bank, shes seen more and more people in need. She traces the increase to a variety of reasons, like fall out from 9/11, changes in welfare law, a poor economy and high unemployment.
Donations are critical to Cabreras work but change is also needed on the policy level. Better paying jobs and a higher minimum wage are essential to fighting poverty, Cabrera said. This past summer Governor Pataki vetoed an increase in the minimum wage. Advocacy groups and legislators are working to overturn his veto.
"Its impossible for a family to live on minimum wage," Cabrera said. "Its all about jobs the only way to get people out of poverty."
Cabrera often has to fight peoples ignorance about those in need. She recalled a time she met with the CEO of a corporation who asked her if people in the soup kitchen just want a hand out. She told him that maybe that person does have a job but decided to use $4.00 to buy his child school supplies while he waited in line for a meal for three hours.
The New York City Food Bank has launched several campaigns to combat those types of misconceptions and to encourage families and businesses to give. In one food drive effort, Washington Mutual Bank customers can drop off donations at their local branch. To learn about drop off locations and other campaigns visit www.foodbanknyc.org.
editorial@queenscourier.com