Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month | Food Bank For New York City

September 15 – October 15 marks Hispanic Heritage Month, a time for us to celebrate Hispanic culture, spotlight how food insecurity impacts Hispanic communities, and honor the pioneering leaders who have long fought for the dignity and empowerment of our Hispanic neighbors here in New York City and across the nation.

On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about our approach to serving our city’s rich and diverse Hispanic communities along with actions YOU can take to fight hunger for the 1 in 5 Hispanic New Yorkers currently facing food insecurity.

How You Can Help

FOOD INSECURITY IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY

Hispanic Heritage Month Graphic 1.3 million

As of June 2022, more than 1.3 million Hispanic Americans in the United States are unemployed, a rate that is 19 percent higher than the national average.

Source: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 2022

The New York City poverty rate among Hispanic/Latino residents is 36 percent higher than New York City’s overall poverty rate.

Source: 2020 American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau. 2022.

More than 264,000 Hispanic/Latino households in New York City rely on SNAP, accounting for 43.5 percent of all New York City SNAP households.

Source: 2020 American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau. 2022.

HOW WE HELP

At Food Bank, we make it a priority to provide our neighbors with the culturally relevant food items and resources they need to thrive. To do this, we partner with an extensive Member Network of over 800 soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, public schools, health care clinics, and college partners that help us to meet the unique needs of the communities they serve.

MEET GIL

Gil Llavet joined Food Bank over 35 years ago and is our organization’s longest serving employee. Born and raised in Puerto Rico by a single mother, Gil knows firsthand the struggles that food insecure New Yorkers endure: “I know the feeling of when you need help and you don’t have anything to eat. I went through that. I went through that for years.”

Now, Gil is a Hi-Lo Operator in Food Bank’s Warehouse & Distribution Center in the Bronx, helping to get food and other resources to the folks that need it most. “This is my second home and I’m happy knowing that what I’m doing can help somebody else who needs it.” Learn more about Gil by watching the video below.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Food Bank works on several fronts to eliminate hunger in New York City. The scale of our efforts is only possible because of our caring supporters. Gifts of time, talent, and treasure help to advance our mission.