Food Chain and Food Pantries During Coronavirus (COVID-19)

BY: World Liberty TV Coronavirus (COVID-19) Team

Parts of the supply chain have been threatened by COVID-19. And consumers may not be feeling the impacts of the most pronounced disruption yet – the ripple effect from the closure of several meat processing plants that closed after COVID-19 outbreaks among their workers.

Wednesday, Tyson suspended operations at its largest pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa. That follows Smithfield Foods shutting pork processing plants in Wisconsin and Missouri after the closure of its Sioux Falls, SD plant — one of the largest single-source COVID hotspots in the country.

There are reports of more than a dozen pork, beef and chicken plants now closed in several states including Colorado and Pennsylvania. That will likely exacerbate the potential for shortages and high prices beyond what was already occurring as shoppers cleared out grocery stores and food-strapped food banks found themselves competing with the general public in retail establishments.

Long haul trucking to get produce from the two biggest growing areas – California and Florida – has had a tough time meeting the faster purchasing pace, especially with the additional time now needed for cleaning trucks and supplies and ensuring the health of drivers traveling through COVID-19-stricken states.

That combined with large-scale institutional closures – universities, schools, hotels, restaurants and more – have resulted in produce being destroyed. Food banks, and especially food pantries, often have zero or limited means to store items like that. Connecticut is making an effort to get some of the milk surplus from its dairy farms into the system.

DISASTER RELIEF BOXES: Food Bank of Central New York is working to prepare for the next phase of crisis operations as we deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. That work includes packing boxes of non-perishable food items into emergency disaster boxes. If and when food pantries close in large numbers, and there is a growing unmet need in the community we serve, we will begin direct mass distributions of the emergency food boxes to families and individuals in need. Those distributions efforts will be communicated through our partners and social media.

Higher Grocery Prices Are Pressuring NYC Food Pantries to Close. New York City’s food pantries are in dire need of more government support, the New York Post reports. Like everyone else, the pantries are having to pay extraordinary costs for basic goods like eggs, while their staffs dwindle as people fall ill, one nonprofit CEO says. In response, the pantries have to devote money towards buying protective gear for the staff that can work, putting more pressure on precious funds.

NYC Council speaker Corey Johnson called on Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to funnel $50 million in emergency aid to the nonprofits that are still operating — $25 million coming from the city, and $25 million from the state — but no budget decisions have been made yet.

Jeff Bezos donates $100 million to nonprofit Feeding America

“I’m like a guy who shows up in the ER and hopes the doctors are going to do the right thing,” David Greenfield, the CEO of nonprofit the Met Council, “I’m in the ER, we’ve shown up at the ER, we’re saying we’re dying over here, we need help. It’s up to the government to helps us or leave us to die.”

Nearly one-third of food pantries in the five boroughs have already shut their doors due to lack of resources, according to the Post. For those that are still open, the nonprofits are handing out 30 to 50 percent more food to try and meet the overwhelming need for help.

Some of that food is coming from NYC restaurant donations. City Harvest received over 50,000 pounds of food from almost 50 restaurants in five days in mid-March, the nonprofit told Eater, while the Food Bank of New York also saw a “noticeable” increase in the amount of donations from restaurants in the same time period.

But even with the extra help from the restaurant industry, the emergency aid is still needed. More and more New Yorkers need immediate help amid the coronavirus crisis, as joblessness rates skyrocket. Unemployment claims in the state are up 1,000 percent in some areas, with 80,500 claims filed in one week in mid-March, according to statistics released by New York’s Department of Labor.

Food Bank’s Bronx warehouse remains open and trucks are on the road to ensure food is delivered to its network of over 1,000 soup kitchens and food pantries across the city. Food Bank’s Community Kitchen and Food Pantry in Harlem is temporarily suspending in-house activities at its senior program, and to-go meals and pre-packaged pantry bags will replace daily sit-down meal service and client-choice pantry service in order to minimize the risk of exposure for clients.

We like to thank our Guest and a champion of many causes, Humanitarian, Philanthropist and Socialite, Jean Shafiroff talking about Food Chain and Food pantries During Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Jean Shafiroff, Philanthropist Humanitarian & Socialite

About Jean Shafiroff: Jean Shafiroff is renowned for her charitable giving and commitment to philanthropy. Each year she chairs numerous galas and hosts many events benefitting several not-for-profit organizations each year and is the author of Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life by What You Give, a book which serves as a practical guide for both the aspiring and seasoned philanthropist. She serves on the boards of several charitable organizations, including the New York City Mission Society, Southampton Hospital Association, French Heritage Society, Couture Council (Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology), Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation Honorary Board  and Global Strays. She is an Honorary Trustee of the Jewish Board and served as a Trustee for 28 years.  She is also an ambassador for the American Humane Society and the Ambassador-at-large for the Southampton Animal Shelter. In addition, Jean is a New York Women’s Foundation Board Alumna who remains very active with the Foundation and women’s issues. A volunteer fundraiser, leader, and spokesperson for several charitable causes, Jean Shafiroff’s philanthropic work includes improving the lives of underserved populations, women’s rights and well- being, health care, animal welfare, and resources for children in need, in addition to other causes.  Most recently Jean has been advocating  on behalf of food pantries by donating and  appearing on numerous TV and radio stations in the United States.

About Humanitarians of the World Inc, www.hotwinc.org : Humanitarians of the World, Inc. (HOTWINC), is also a not for profit 503(c) tax exempt organization.

One of the goals of HOTWINC is to broadcast Humanitarian activities taking place throughout the world via its official online TV, “World Liberty TV Humanitarian Channel” located at www.worldlibertytv.org. Another goal of the organization is to recognize those individuals and entities that provide humanitarian services through charitable acts or activities throughout the world.

 Medals of recognition will be awarded to those whose humanitarian efforts assist, support, and further the economic, social, mental and physical well-being of the underprivileged, disenfranchised, suffering and/or downtrodden people of the world, as a way of honoring them at the annual fundraising galas, and eventually HOTWINC Hall of Fame annual events.The primary goal of Humanitarians Of The World Inc. is to help the neediest of people throughout the world wherever they may be in need.

Humanitarians Of The World Inc. does not receive federal, state or city funding but raises money through charitable contributions made by corporate or private concerns. The members of HOTWINC are caring community minded people that give their time and funds, to help those less fortunate and in dire need of assistance. The very essence of the organization’s foundation is the humanitarian causes it serves. Seventy five percent of the money HOTWINC receives through fundraising and other charitable activities will fund the organization’s humanitarian causes.

See more about Food Chain and Food pantries During Coronavirus (COVID-19). In our World Liberty TV Coronavirus (COVID-19) Channel and blog by clicking here.

Also we are in dire need of donations which are almost dried up, we are in dire need of raising money to keep our organization functioning.

We are at this time looking for Donations: of  Money ,Masks, Gloves and Medical Gowns, Which we will donate to our First Responders, Senior Citizens and other needy people if you don’t know, we are based in Queens NY, 3 Blocks from Elmhurst Hospital, (Epic Center of Coronavirus (COVID-19), to make donations please go to Humanitarians of the world inc, by clicking here.

Disclaimer: We under no circumstances offering, medical advice  of any kind, or financial advice you must contact the professionals in the field of medicine and Professionals in the Financial sectors.

These videos, produced and directed by World Liberty TV, are for only educational purposes to give you information to reach out to the necessary people who might be able to help you.through these tough times during the Coronona Virus (COVID-19).