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LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative

LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative

A year-long (2023-2024) experiential learning program to assist LaGuardia Community College students, staff, and faculty with exploring the global issues of hunger and poverty (UNSDGs 1 and 2: No Poverty, Zero Hunger) in New York City.

About

Food Bank For New York City is proud to partner with LaGuardia Community College (LCC) to provide a year of learning, volunteering, research, and advocacy engagement for LCC students, faculty, and staff from September 2023 to June 2024.

LCC students will actively support Food Bank For New York City’s mission to combat poverty across the five boroughs. As the city’s largest hunger-relief organization, Food Bank employs a multifaceted approach, empowering low-income New Yorkers to overcome challenges and achieve greater independence.

Internship Opportunities

Food Bank For NYC and LaGuardia Community College are excited to partner on paid internship
opportunities in the Spring through the LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative. Please reach out to Career
Services for more information.

Contact Career Services

Activities

National Day on Writing

Explore compelling student narratives on food insecurity and economic justice in celebration of the annual National Day of Writing.

“Food is Life”

An Exquisite Corpse from LaGuardia Students

Student Observations

Economic and Food Justice Writing Group students share how they define food insecurity.

Student Profiles

Meet students Shannye, Shahd, and Zalemoon and discover what inspired them to make a difference in their communities.

Popcorn: that salty, strong, toasted, buttery smell that you experience at the movie theaters. It’s the same smell that comes from the kitchen when you’re about to watch a movie with your family. It’s the same smell you detect when you’re at a sleepover at your friends’ house and you just want something to munch on while you gossip, play board games, or even study.

When most people think of popcorn, they think of their friends and family laughing and socializing. Popcorn brings comfort and is an overall fun snack. Now erase all of that and think of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. This is what I think of when I’m around one of the most loved snacks. When I was in high school, I struggled a lot with my body image. I was always thin, but as I got older, I started gaining some weight. Everyone was so used to me being underweight, so when I gained, my mother made sure I knew.

When she made comments about my weight, I never cared. I always brushed it off and continued to live my life. Now imagine yourself just finishing a plate of food. You realize you’re still hungry, so you go into the kitchen for a second plate of food. When you pick up the serving spoon about to serve yourself, your mother snatches the spoon out of your hands. That’s what my mother did. She took away my plate, looked me in the eyes, and said, “No more.” A mother, someone who is supposed to make you feel loved no matter what. I looked at my mother and asked her, “why did you do that,” and she looked at me and said, “look at you, you’re gaining too much weight. You weren’t like this before. You think someone’s going to think you’re pretty.” My heart sank so fast. Holding back tears, I looked back at my dad. Everyone was shocked as to what just came out of my mom’s mouth.

My dad knew I was holding back so many tears. He looked at my mom and told her, “She’s not even fat. Leave her alone. Let the girl eat.” My mom replied, “No, look at her.” I turned to my dad and told him, “It’s OK; I’m not hungry anymore.” As my dad begged me to get my second plate of food, I walked back to the living room and I sat there holding everything in.

After that day, I had a hard time eating. I would go days without eating, and I lost weight. My parents noticed I wasn’t eating, and they would send me to school with meals prepared for me, but I always ended up giving it to my friends.

I had a hard time walking down the stairs without tripping or falling because of how dizzy I got. When my parents got suspicious as to whether or not I was eating, I would eat a small amount of popcorn in front of them from time to time. I made sure I didn’t eat too much. When we would watch a movie as a family, the strong smell of buttery popcorn would remind me to watch what I ate. Popcorn used to be something I had enjoyed. I loved the taste of it. I was happy that I’d let myself eat a small amount of it from time to time. I loved the ones that were a little burnt. I loved the crunch I felt when I chewed it. I was no longer enjoying it. When everyone was watching the movie, I would watch how much I was eating.

When everyone was enjoying the popcorn, I was making sure my mom was looking at me eating the popcorn. The worst part was not losing food. The worst part was faking the smiles. I felt so alone. It felt like nobody knew what I was going through. Over time I slowly let people in. I’m learning to love my body again. I spoke to my mother and our relationship isn’t perfect but it’s better than the relationship we had before. When I’m around popcorn, I instantly remember the emotions I was feeling and the dark thoughts I was having but it’s also a reminder of how far I have come.

I had the privilege of volunteering at Food Bank For New York City (FBNYC), where I witnessed firsthand the immense impact they have on the lives of countless families. It was a humbling experience to see the sheer number of families who depend on FBNYC to put food on their tables. However, I also became acutely aware of the challenges that these food banks face in fulfilling their mission. Volunteering at a food bank allowed me to understand the intricate web of dependencies that countless families have on these organizations, particularly in the face of economic challenges such as inflation.

As individuals who possess the means, we have the power to contribute to the solution by either donating or, like myself, volunteering our time. Even the most seemingly insignificant acts can have a profound effect on the lives of numerous families, especially in times of economic hardship. By actively engaging with food banks and food pantries, at LHI we not only provide immediate relief to those in need but also become a part of the solution.

As food is a basic human right, we need to find a solution that would provide access to affordable food in communities experiencing food insecurity. LHI inspired me to help raise awareness on the above issue by becoming an advocate for people in need. After researching on UNSDG 2 “Zero Hunger,” I created a flyer for a coat drive on campus, donated to households in need of extra help getting clothes, and designed flyers for a clothes drive and donations for pets in need, as well. Being able to make a difference as a part of the LHI program made me realize how small acts of kindness can hugely impact our community.

Research & Advocacy

Students will also partner with emergency feeding programs across New York City to support research projects including conducting participant surveys. Students will participate in trainings, and volunteer opportunities, fundraise, and pursue internships furthering the missions of Food Bank For New York City and LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative.

LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative & Food Bank For New York City Research Opportunities

  1. Assisting on Data Collection Surveys
    1. Background: Working with 5 agency partners to survey for each agency 100 current food bank participants and 200 nonparticipants (each agency will identify the communities of nonparticipants and how to reach them) to identify barriers in BIPOC communities using/ accessing food pantries.
    2. The task would be to administer surveys in the field (after training), depending on method of surveying input data & possibly help with data cleaning.
  2. Timing would be in October/November
  3. Unpaid
  4. Action Hour Lunch – either together or separately
    1. Training on data resources, where to find, and how to use.
    2. Training on using APIs.
  5. A micro-internship on data cleaning/ analysis (exploring if this can be a paid opportunity).
  6. Help to structure surveys of LaGuardia campus pantry to support work on food insecurity. We could provide insights into survey sizes, questions, administration etc. depending on what LCC has already done in this area.

Objectives of the Research Project for LHI Students: 

  • Improve access to nutritious food among people experiencing the highest rates of food insecurity, with a focus on communities of color.
  • Address one/more barriers to accessing nutritious food including: lack of awareness of food assistance options, social stigma around asking for help, physical access (such as transportation) and personal experience (such as discrimination and the need for food options aligned with dietary or cultural preferences).
  • Make data-informed and community-informed decisions about programs/activities to start, sustain, or expand based on the best available information.

Goal of Research Study: 

  • Figuring out what are the barriers that exist in access for community members who are going to the food pantries and community members who are not.
  • Understand how we can bridge the gaps of service.
  • Provide sub-awards to agencies in our member network to help bridge the identified barriers and increase food access.

Scale: 

This could be interpreted as a pilot study as we will focus on 5 sites or agencies mostly located in Brooklyn and the Bronx. We’re seeking 200 survey responses from non-clients per site. Non-clients are individuals that do not utilize food pantries or soup kitchens, even though they’re eligible.

Need: 

The survey data associates will help achieve the desired response rate for this study through traveling to the field and engaging participants to collect their answers.

See the Client Survey (PDF) and Non-Client Survey (PDF) enclosed.

Volunteer

LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative & Food Bank For New York City Volunteer Opportunities

Project Description: Food Bank for New York City’s Community Pantry distributes nutritious bags of
groceries to 3,000 households each month, providing nearly 150,000 meals to the community.
Volunteers are needed to help pack and distribute grocery bags with fresh produce and shelf-stable
items for community members.

Location: Community Kitchen & Pantry, 252 W 116th St, NY, NY 10026

Schedule:

  • Tuesdays – Wednesdays: 9:00am-12:30pm & 12:00pm-4:00pm
  • Thursdays: 11:30am-3:30pm & 3:00pm-6:30pm
  • 1st Saturday of the month: 10:30am-2:30pm

Tasks during the shift may include:

  • Packing fresh produce and shelf-stable grocery bags in preparation for distribution to
    community members.
  • Engaging with community members while distributing bags of groceries.
  • Assisting with pantry clean-up at end of shift.
  • Assisting with other pantry tasks, like sorting donations, as needed.


Things to consider:

  • We ask that volunteers are comfortable lifting 30-40 pounds repeatedly.
  • If you are bilingual, please let us know onsite!
  • We ask that you are flexible as the positions may vary or change based on the demand of
    distribution for the day.
  • Limited onsite storage is available for personal belongings, but we recommend traveling light
    and leaving valuables at home. Please bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout
    the shift.
  • Our shift times account for arrival, check-in, and a brief orientation, so there is no need to come
    early! If you choose to arrive early, we ask that you come no more than 10 minutes prior to the
    start of your shift.
  • All volunteers must agree to our Volunteer Waiver and Photo Release Waiver in order to
    participate.
  • Please only register for this opportunity if you are sure you can attend for the full shift duration. If anything changes with your availability, please cancel your registration on the Volunteer Portal at least 24 hours in advance.

Dress Code:

  • Volunteers are expected to present a neat appearance and dress according to the requirements
    of the volunteer shift.
  • We ask that volunteers do not wear revealing attire such as muscle shirts, crop tops, “short
    shorts” or see-through clothing.
  • Sturdy, closed-toe, closed-heel shoes, such as athletic sneakers or boots, are required for
    safety. Ballet flats, loafers, slides, sandals, flip flops, crocs, and high-heels are not allowed.
  • Outdoor activity may be required, so please wear weather-appropriate attire.
  • During colder months, please be sure to dress in warm layers. Indoor temperatures will vary
    due to frequent activity in and out of the pantry.
  • Our staff reserves the right to turn away or reassign volunteers not dressed appropriately for
    their shift.


How to get involved:
View all available shifts and register on Food Bank’s Volunteer Portal or email Nicole Harrison at nharrison@foodbanknyc.org to schedule a group of up to 8 volunteers.

Project Description: Food Bank’s Warehouse and Food Distribution Center in The Bronx distributes food to member agencies throughout the five boroughs, supplying over 70 million meals per year to New Yorkers in need! Volunteers at our warehouse help our staff with our highest-impact initiative by sorting and repacking bulk shipped food and goods for redistribution around the city.

Location: 355 Food Center Drive, Building 359, Bronx, NY 10474 (Located within the Hunts Point
Cooperative Market)

Schedule: Tuesdays-Fridays, 9:30am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-3:30pm

Things to consider:

  • This opportunity is only open to groups of 10-25 volunteers.
  • Onsite storage is available for personal belongings, but we recommend traveling light and
    leaving valuables at home. Please bring a reusable water bottle.
  • Volunteers should be prepared to work in a warehouse setting. We ask that volunteers are
    prepared to stand for the duration of the shift and comfortable with moderate lifting.
  • All volunteers must agree to our Volunteer Waiver, Covid-19 Waiver, and Photo Release Waiver
    in order to participate.

Dress Code:

  • Volunteers are expected to present a neat appearance and dress according to the requirements
    of the volunteer shift.
  • We ask that volunteers do not wear revealing attire such as muscle shirts, crop tops, “short
    shorts” or see-through clothing.
  • Sturdy, closed-toe, closed-heel shoes, such as athletic sneakers or boots, are required for safety.
    Ballet flats, loafers, slides, sandals, flip flops, crocs, and high-heels are not allowed.
  • We recommend dressing in warm layers in fall and winter months as our warehouse may be
    chilly.
  • Our staff reserves the right to turn away or reassign volunteers not dressed appropriately for
    their shift.

How to get involved: Email Nicole Harrison at nharrison@foodbanknyc.org to schedule your group of 10-25 volunteers.

Students will have the opportunity to participate in group volunteer opportunities during class time. These trips will be led by the professor and will take place at local emergency feeding organizations. Please reach out to your professor for more details.

TAKE ACTION

Help empower our work to alleviate food poverty across the five boroughs this Hunger Action Month.

VOLUNTEER

Support one of Food Bank’s volunteer projects.

DONATE

Donate this Hunger Action Month and GrubHub will match your gift until Sept. 30!

ADVOCATE

Join our Action Team to raise your voice in support of key anti-hunger policies.

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