Homelessness has become a national, as well as global epidemic. It is the result of problems that have been ignored for decades. Sadly, homelessness in the United States of America has now reached its highest point since the Great Depression.

According to Feeding America, while approximately 133 billion pounds of food goes to waste in this country every year, 1 in 6 Americans go hungry on a regular basis. I believe no one should be going hungry while billions of pounds of quality food are going to waste. That’s why I founded Catering for the Homeless, Inc.—to utilize food excess from catering companies, schools, restaurants, and grocery stores for the homeless and poor.  

Senator Joseph Addabbo passed a food law in September of 2017, encouraging schools throughout New York from the Pre-K to the University Level, to donate their food excess to charities like mine who can distribute their food to the less fortunate. My organization has reached out to about 100 schools in the past two years to get them on-board. However, I’ve learned that the Department of Education must opt into this law before schools are likely to comply.

Utilizing the food excess from schools alone would help solve the hunger crisis in New York City, where rates of food insecurity are highest in the nation. In our city with the greatest wealth, we also have the worst poverty. When schools donate their excess food, this will also set a precedence for schools to donate their food excess throughout the rest of the nation.

Teachers have told that me the Department of Education not only makes schools throw away tons of good food on a regular basis—they bleach it so that no one can use it. Many educators want to donate this food excess to the children who are coming to school hungry, and to those who desperately need it in the community, but the DOE won’t let them. Teachers beseech me not to give up this cause, but I cannot make this happen alone.

The more signatures on Catering for the Homeless’ petition on Change.org, the more likely the DOE will be to allow schools to donate their excess food. Please use your voice to support this effort to end hunger, and alleviate homelessness, by signing this petition.

Thank you for caring about this “cause of the heart.” Together we can make a difference. To sign the petition, visit: 
https://tinyurl.com/schoolfoodpetition.