World Food Day: Supporting the fight against hunger year-round

For many people around the world, access to food or resources for a meal is a daily concern. Addressing food insecurity is an important part of Bloomberg’s larger commitment to supporting and strengthening the communities where we have offices. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), up to 828 million people faced hunger in 2021 worldwide. World Food Day, recognized every year on October 16, draws our awareness to hunger and food insecurity in our local communities and around the world. Every year, Bloomberg marks this day by contributing to more than 75 local food assistance organizations and in 2021, we donated 1.4 million meals through our nonprofit partners worldwide.

Food insecurity affects many different types of communities, and it has been compounded by an ongoing pandemic and rising costs of food. Food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens are at the frontline of support for local communities providing meals or groceries to families and individuals from many walks of life. Year-round, Bloomberg employees in cities around the world regularly support local food banks by preparing meals, sorting food donations, or distributing groceries to our neighbors. So far this year, Bloomberg employees have given nearly 6,500 hours to fighting hunger, accounting for 250,000 meals for individuals and families in need. Several times a week, each week throughout the year, a Bloomberg team can be found in a local food bank or soup kitchen around the world.

In the United States, where the USDA reported nearly 34 million people lived in food insecure households last year, Bloomberg supports 44 food pantries and soup kitchens. In San Francisco, employees have distributed 8,600 meals with the SF-Marin Food Bank. In New Jersey, employees have helped Americas Grow-a-Row harvest thousands of pounds of produce, providing nearly 100,000 vegetable servings for hunger-fighting agencies across the state.  Employees in New York have helped provide more than 115,000 meals for organizations including God’s Love We Deliver, New York Common Pantry, and Feeding Westchester. According to Bloomberg partner City Harvest, visits to New York City food pantries and soup kitchens are up 69% in 2022 compared to 2019—and up 14% just since January 2022.

Our employees support senior populations in a number of ways through various partners including Citymeals on Wheels in New York and Meals on Wheels San Francisco. They help distribute meals, package emergency meal boxes, make birthday and holiday cards, and even knit hats for the city’s homebound elderly. In New York, Citymeals on Wheels serves nearly 2 million meals annually to over 20,000 older New Yorkers. Over the past 10 years, Bloomberg employees have provided Citymeals on Wheels with more than 10,000 volunteer hours.

“Citymeals is deeply grateful to the employees of Bloomberg, who have nourished their homebound elderly neighbors for years.” said Citymeals Executive Director Beth Shapiro. “Bloomberg’s longtime support as a corporate partner has helped ensure and strengthen the lifeline of meals and companionship we provide older New Yorkers.”

Throughout Asia, our support with local foodbank partners across 12 countries and 15 cities in the region, includes tackling food waste and redistributing surplus food with OzHarvest in Australia, supporting underserved communities through food donation drives and sponsored year-long meals with Food From The Heart in Singapore, and providing support such as meal kits to beneficiaries in Tohoku area, affected by the great earthquake in 2011, with Food Bank Iwate in Tokyo.

In Hong Kong, Bloomberg has partnered with Foodlink Foundation since 2017, where we have provided both volunteering and funding support to collect safe-to-eat surplus food for those communities in need through food drives, packing, and deliveries. This year alone, over 400 volunteers helped repack 6,200 bags of 1kg rice for elderly beneficiaries.

“We are so grateful that Bloomberg has faithfully served alongside Foodlink since 2017. Without your colleagues consistently giving their time and resources, our work would have been impossible. Together we have served at least 10,000 meals to those vulnerable to hunger in our city. Your commitment to service is something that is worth celebrating and highlighting on World Food Day. On behalf of Foodlink, thank you for being champions for our cause. Only together can we uphold our mission to serve and “Replace Hunger with a Smile”!” – Robin Hwang, Executive Director of Foodlink Foundation.

In Europe, Bloomberg supports the European Food Banks Federation (FEBA), a network of over 341 Food Banks in 30 European countries, preventing food waste and reducing food insecurity. Employees from 18 cities provided 1,766 items of essential supplies to a FEBA food bank in Poland where they were then distributed to Ukrainian refugees. In London, our support of hunger-fighting agencies includes FareShare, the UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 18 independent organizations.  The organization was a key member of the London Community Response Fund supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

In the Middle East, Bloomberg also supports the UAE Food Bank. Recently, employees in our Dubai office donated close to 400 food items to the UAE Food Bank to mark Ramadan. While in London, employees have also provided more than 800 volunteer hours and 10,000 meals for our neighbors at the Soup Kitchen London. The Soup Kitchen provides free nutritious meals, clothing, toiletries and a sense of belonging to over 150 visitors each day.

“All of Bloomberg’s efforts really does make a difference,” said Alex Brown, Director of Soup Kitchen London. “Bloomberg’s Dollars For Your Hours program is an industry best and something that we rely on every single year. From all of us, a very sincere thank you for everything that you do.”

In Africa, we support the Global Food Banking Network and their partners, Food Banking Kenya, Food for All Africa-Ghana, Food Forward South Africa, and Lagos Food Bank Initiative. In 2022, we saw the return to in-person volunteering with our food banking where Bloomberg employees and their families in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Accra, Nairobi, and Lagos helped distribute more than 1,000 meals or parcels in support of communities in need. Bloomberg has also supported Food Forward South Africa to provide hot meals, hygiene kits, and water to more than 5,500 people affected by the recent deadly floods in the region.

World Food Day highlights the everyday challenges families face to secure healthy meals. Together, we can help fight hunger and further the FAOs mission of ensuring everyone, everywhere has regular access to enough nutritious food.