Wherever you are in the world, there is one universal truth that we all share: COVID-19 hit all of us really hard in one way or another. This past year has tested us all beyond measure. NYC was no exception, and we saw our beloved city torn apart in so many different ways. Businesses folded, jobs were lost, and food insecurity hit an all time high in the city that we love so dearly. 

But in the true spirit of New York we found ways—individually and collectively—to rise to the challenge and become more resilient. The fighting spirit of New York rose up to stand strong against the adversity that we faced, and we let the pandemic make us stronger. Our pandemic non-profit is a celebration of all that is strong in New York, and a promise to fight for those who continue to face challenges. We started as a group of friends and neighbors in the first few weeks of the pandemic, cooking food for those hardest hit, and those who had lost everything in that most challenging of times. As the year progressed, we grew into a full 501c3 non-profit, which is 100% volunteer-run and has cooked over 110,000 delicious, gourmet meals and delivered over 7,000 pantry bags to those who faced some of the greatest challenges of their lives. We raised every cent ourselves and people from all over the city—and the wider world—felt our passion and supported our mission. 

As we continue to grow, we want to do several things. First of all, we want to celebrate YOUR resiliency, and what you have done to get yourself through these difficult times. What have you done to lift yourself up and get through your days? You can share your videos and stories with us, because when one of us is lifted, it brings us all to a higher place. Then, we want to invite you to lift up your fellow New Yorkers with us. We invite you to support this campaign so that we can continue to feed those who still need lifting. Let’s put our efforts together to make sure all the people of NYC have the basics like quality food, and personal care items. Let’s help our fellow New Yorkers stand up, and collectively rebuild the city that we love so much.