Nonprofit will reach new milestone of meals funded, packed, and delivered during annual volunteer event on November 22
Meals will go to thousands of homeless families, including hundreds of migrant families who will celebrate their first-ever Thanksgiving thanks to New Yorkers' generosity
NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FeedingNYC today announced that it will deliver 8,500+ Thanksgiving dinners to homeless shelters throughout New York City this year, reaching a new milestone of 100,000+ meals delivered to families in need since its inception in 2001. As New York City continues to manage an influx of migrants from the southern border, hundreds of families seeking asylum will be among those receiving Thanksgiving dinners from FeedingNYC — celebrating their first Thanksgiving in the United States thanks to New Yorkers' generosity.
The 8,500+ Thanksgiving dinners — each containing a full-size turkey, all the fixings, and an educational activity book — will be packed by hundreds of FeedingNYC volunteers on November 22 during an all-hands-on-deck event at Chelsea Piers, then hand-delivered to shelters in all five boroughs later that day. Media will be allowed on-site at Chelsea Piers to view the packing event and speak with volunteers.
"In 2001, we started out with just 12 volunteers who came together to do something for our neighbors in the wake of 9/11. Looking back at the 40 Thanksgiving dinners we provided then, it fills me with pride to know that we'll deliver our 100,000th this November," said Rob LoCascio, founder and CEO of LivePerson and founder of FeedingNYC. "This growth and dedication is a testament to the 7,000+ volunteers who have helped us over the years, as well as our partners and sponsors. No matter what we face, from the pandemic in recent times to supply challenges this year, we'll always be there to spread hope during the Thanksgiving season."
One in five children in New York City faces hunger today, and 70% of the city's shelter population is made up of families with children. On a typical night, over 20,000 children sleep in a New York City homeless shelter, which means there are more homeless children than there are seats in the Barclay's Center.
FeedingNYC's main beneficiary is Win, New York City's largest provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families with children. Additional 2022 beneficiaries include Henry Street Settlement, Volunteers of America, and several public schools.
"Every Thanksgiving, it fills me with such gratitude to see so many New Yorkers join FeedingNYC to help their neighbors in need. This year, with hundreds of families seeking asylum in our shelters, it's even more inspiring to see the community come together and provide these new New Yorkers with the supplies needed for their first-ever Thanksgiving," said Christine C. Quinn, President & CEO of Win. "We are forever grateful to FeedingNYC for making sure the thousands of families who live in our shelters are able to come together and enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal every year."
FeedingNYC was founded in the wake of 9/11 to bring hope to New York City families. The nonprofit marks its 21st anniversary this November. It is sponsored by LivePerson and Kirkland & Ellis and supported by corporate and individual donors from all corners of the world.
FeedingNYC's partners, including Manhattan Mini Storage, Roadway Moving, Wegmans, Pier Sixty, and Speech and Go generously contribute their services to assist the effort.
"We're proud to spend our days moving families into homes, but we know that thousands of families in New York don't have a place to call home, including tens of thousands of children," said Ross Sapir, founder of Roadway Moving. "We are honored to join with FeedingNYC for another year to bring Thanksgiving dinners to families throughout the shelter system across the five boroughs. It's the most important work our people and trucks will do during incredibly challenging times."
FeedingNYC is now accepting donations to feed families for Thanksgiving 2022. A donation of just $48 can provide an entire family with a meal. To support a family in need, make an individual donation by check, credit card, ACH, or PayPal, or explore sponsorship opportunities.
About FeedingNYC
FeedingNYC is an annual charity event sponsored by the Dream Big Foundation, a nonprofit organization conceived by LivePerson CEO Robert LoCascio in the aftermath of 9/11 when employees and friends of LivePerson assembled and hand-delivered turkey dinners to disadvantaged families around New York City for Thanksgiving. With the support of local community and corporate sponsors, the project, which began in 2001 serving just 40 families in Harlem, has grown to deliver meals to more than 100,000 families throughout the five boroughs. Please visit www.feedingnyc.org to learn how to get involved.
About LivePerson, Inc.
LivePerson (NASDAQ: LPSN) is a global leader in customer engagement solutions. We create AI-powered digital experiences that feel Curiously Human. Our customers — including leading brands like HSBC, Orange, and GM Financial — have conversations with millions of consumers as personally as they would with one. Our Conversational Cloud platform powers nearly a billion conversational interactions every month, providing a uniquely rich data set to build connections that reduce costs, increase revenue, and are anything but artificial. Fast Company named us the #1 Most Innovative AI Company in the world. To talk with us or our Conversational AI, please visit liveperson.com.
About Win:
Since 1983, Win has been transforming the lives of women and children experiencing homelessness in New York City by providing the housing, programs and services they need to succeed — so families can regain their independence and their children can look forward to a brighter future. With 13 shelters serving 5,000 people every night, Win focuses on solutions for the many causes of homelessness by helping women improve their job skills, life skills, health and more. Win's children's services include childcare, after school programs and Camp Win, a summer day camp program. Win also provides permanent supportive housing offering dedicated, long-term support to mothers with additional needs.
Contact:
Mike Tague
mtague@liveperson.com
SOURCE LivePerson, Inc.
