Craig Newmark Philanthropies Announces Additional $15M Donation to Conquer Food Insecurity Across the Country

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Feb 09, 2021, 11:35 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Craig Newmark Philanthropies (CNP) announced on Tuesday a generous $15 million donation to address food insecurity across America. Newmark made the commitment during the first "Leaders Eat Last" virtual panel event, part of a series developed by the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) to take a deeper look into the systems and solutions surrounding food insecurity and specifically its effect on veterans. Tuesday's commitment from Craig Newmark Philanthropies comes after the organization gave $10 million to the fight against food insecurity in October.

The $25 million CNP has devoted to combating food insecurity will directly support an expanding network of organizations the Philanthropy has funded to address the issue of rising hunger in America. The cohort of experts are working together to tackle a clear but complex challenge – how to feed hungry Americans now and how to build food security for every American in the long term. The network, guided by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, includes DC Central Kitchen, FareStart, Feeding America, God's Love We Deliver, and World Central Kitchen.

"People in America are going to bed hungry, and that pisses me off. I'm working with good, effective food organizations to get people fed now, but it's not just about today," said Craig Newmark. "We have been successful in providing millions of meals during this pandemic, but our job is far from finished. I hope everyone will join me in doing what you can to fix this solvable problem."

Craig Newmark Philanthropies is taking a three-pronged approach to addressing food insecurity. First, Full Plate: let's ensure people have food today – Americans should not go to bed hungry. Second, Full Pantry: let's ensure people can feed themselves tomorrow by tackling the issues upstream of hunger. Finally, Full Coverage: let's move to a new economic normal in which all Americans are food secure.

"A longtime champion for veterans and military families, Craig saw the Bob Woodruff Foundation's expertise in managing our national network of partners and invited us to join him for two important efforts: address food insecurity among veterans and help guide his coalition's efforts on a broader scale," said Anne Marie Dougherty, CEO of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. "By convening this group of experts serving different communities across the country, we have the opportunity to drive real change for millions of Americans in need, letting them know that we've got their six."

The coalition of nonprofits, led by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, has started filling plates and pantries across the country. The group consists of the following organizations:

"We are grateful to Craig Newmark Philanthropies for spearheading a shared effort to improve food security for tens of millions of people across the U.S.," said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. "With this support, the Feeding America network of food banks and our hunger relief partners can fulfill our commitment to provide meals and address racial, social and economic barriers to accessing nutritious food."

"Craig's gift will help us battle hunger in our nation's capital today while taking on its root causes," said DC Central Kitchen CEO Mike Curtin, Jr. "We'll expand our emergency distributions of healthy meals and fresh, local produce, create and sustain living wage jobs for DC residents, and partner with DC schools, Dreaming Out Loud, and World Central Kitchen to build lasting food security in our city. Now is the time to advance bold solutions and bring more allies to the fight against hunger, poverty, and racial injustice."

"With food insecurity and the need for proper nutrition growing every day, we are so grateful to Craig Newmark for his wonderful support. Craig sees the need for serious change in our food systems and is leading the way by addressing it with generosity, vision, and innovation," said Karen Pearl, President & CEO of God's Love We Deliver. "Our great hope is that others will follow Craig's example so that one day no person in this country will suffer from a lack of food or proper nutrition."

"As food insecurity continues to grow, Craig Newmark's gift is a lifeline for the most vulnerable in our communities," said Angela Dunleavy, CEO of FareStart. "His commitment ensures nutritious, prepared meals will get where they're most urgently needed now. It's also an investment in long-term systemic change to help address the causes of hunger including racism, poverty and unemployment. We are thankful for Craig's leadership in addressing one of biggest challenges facing our country today."

The Bob Woodruff Foundation's "Leaders Eat Last" virtual panel series will dig deeper into the systems and solutions that surround the issue of food insecurity in the military/veteran community. For more information and to register for an upcoming panel, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org.

Craig Newmark Philanthropies is inviting more partners to join this vital call to action. To join or support this effort, please reach out to [email protected].

Craig Newmark Philanthropies Partners:

DC Central Kitchen: DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) provides culinary job training for individuals facing high barriers to employment while bringing nutritious food where it is most needed. DCCK uses these efforts to create living wage jobs and leadership roles for its culinary graduates while supporting local farmers and preventing food waste. As a Craig Newmark Philanthropies grantee, DCCK is bringing thousands of balanced meals and fresh, locally-grown groceries each day to Washington, DC's front-line nonprofits, housing communities, and mutual aid networks while operating mobile feeding sites for children and seniors in high-need neighborhoods.

FareStart: FareStart transforms lives, disrupts poverty and nourishes communities through food, life skills and job training. FareStart Catalyst Kitchens is a member network of over 80 nonprofit organizations in 30 states committed to the same outcomes. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FareStart and FareStart Catalyst Kitchens members are producing more than 800,000 emergency meals a week - more 18 million meals were served in 2020 alone. Through Craig Newmark Philanthropies FareStart continues meal production while working with identified partners to develop a regional food security plan incorporating prepared meals and waste intervention strategies alongside traditional hunger relief activities.

Feeding America: Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, it provides meals to more than 40 million people each year. Support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies provided direct support to four member food banks through rapid response sub-grants. Funds will be used to reduce disparities in access to nutritious food, impacting nearly 2 million food-insecure individuals. Funding also supports national efforts to 1) bolster federal and state advocacy programs and 2) amplify messaging to mobilize a movement to end hunger.

God's Love We Deliver: God's Love is a non-sectarian food and nutrition services organization dedicated to cooking and home-delivering medically tailored meals, and providing nutrition counseling to people living with severe and chronic illness. Begun in 1985, God's Love was born during the HIV/AIDS crisis and has become a lifeline for people sick with cardiovascular disease, HIV, cancer, severe diabetes, COVID-19 and other serious illnesses, now delivering more than 2.4 million meals each year. All services are provided free to clients and full of love. God's Love is thrilled to join the coalition, working with like-minded organizations to address illness and hunger and serve the most vulnerable among us.

World Central Kitchen: Based in Washington, D.C. and founded by José Andrés, World Central Kitchen (WCK) uses the power of food to heal communities and strengthen economies in times of crisis and beyond. WCK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, #ChefsForAmerica, and their Restaurants for the People program provides fresh, nourishing meals to communities in need while also supporting small restaurants and food businesses to keep them up and running and their teams and purveyors working. WCK's work with Craig Newmark Philanthropies will support the organization's efforts to provide meals around the country to people who need them most.

Bob Woodruff Foundation: The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has "Got Your 6", investing in the fight against food insecurity in the military and veteran population. With support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, BWF manages the largest nongovernmental network of networks for veterans, and is supporting the network to combat hunger and food insecurity for veterans and military families in communities across the country by providing meals and food urgently. BWF is also evaluating grant applications for evidence-based programs that will address food insecurity in the military veteran population. To learn more about BWF's food security efforts, check out the Leaders Eat Last panel series at gotyour6.bobwoodrufffoundation.org.

About Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer, philanthropist, and leading advocate. Most commonly known for founding the online classified ads service craigslist, Newmark works to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. In 2016, he founded Craig Newmark Philanthropies to advance people and grassroots organizations that are "getting stuff done" in areas that include trustworthy journalism & the information ecosystem, food insecurity, voter protection, women in technology, and veterans & military families. At its core, all of Newmark's philanthropic work helps to strengthen American democracy by supporting the values that the country aspires to - fairness, opportunity, and respect. For more information, please visit: CraigNewmarkPhilanthropies.org. Craig can be found sharing his personal perspective on the issues of the day at @craignewmark.

About the Bob Woodruff Foundation

The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has led an enduring call to action for people to stand up for heroes and meet the emerging and long-term needs of today's veterans, including suicide prevention, mental health, caregiver support, and food insecurity. To date, BWF has invested over $76 million to Find, Fund and Shape™ programs that have empowered impacted veterans, service members, and their family members, across the nation. For more information, please visit bobwoodrufffoundation.org or follow us on Twitter at @Stand4Heroes.

SOURCE Bob Woodruff Foundation