Island Harvest Food Bank Receives Morgan Stanley Grant to Expand Program Delivering Nutritious Meals to Children & Families
Hauppauge, NY - June 8, 2017 - Island Harvest Food Bank today announced it has received a $50,000 grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation to fund its School Pantry program, a child hunger initiative that helps to make sure low-income families have a readily accessible source of healthy and nutritious food to prepare at home. Employees from Morgan Stanley’s Long Island branches presented the check and volunteered at Island Harvest Food Bank as part of Morgan Stanley’s “Feeding Kids Around the Clock” initiative, a full day of activities across the globe to help the fight against childhood hunger.
The Foundation is awarding a total of $750,000 in grants this month to food banks across the country. Employees from Morgan Stanley are also volunteering today in 40 different locations, including Hauppauge, to pack and sort food in preparation for the summer, when four out of five children who typically received reduced and free lunches through schools, lose that access to nutrition. Through its partnership with Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks, the Morgan Stanley Foundation has given more than $21 million to help launch, expand and sustain critical childhood feeding programs including summer feeding programs.
“We are thrilled to receive such a vital grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation in support of our efforts to deliver more nutritious meals to children and families on Long Island,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO, Island Harvest Food Bank. “Morgan Stanley and its employees provide vital support for Island Harvest Food Bank by generous contributions like this and many hours volunteering.”
“We are honored to be able to help Island Harvest Food Bank in its important fight against child hunger,” said Morgan Stanley Complex Director Ralph Balzano. “We are delighted to extend our support through this grant and provide even more children with the foods they need to learn, grow and thrive.”
“Grants like this from Morgan Stanley make a vital difference in our efforts to provide children with the nutritious meals they need every day,” said Andy Wilson, Chief Development Officer at Feeding America. “More than 13 million children in the United States live at risk of hunger. Together, we can solve hunger and ensure that children have the fuel they need to grow healthy and strong.”
Morgan Stanley employees were scheduled to participate in “Feeding Kids Around The Clock” events in more than 40 locations in the United States.
About Island Harvest Food Bank
Island Harvest Food Bank is a leading hunger-relief organization that provides food and other resources to people in need. Always treating those it helps with dignity and respect, its goal is to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island through efficient food collection and distribution; enhanced hunger-awareness and nutrition-education programs; job training; and direct services targeted at children, senior citizens, veterans, and others at risk of food insecurity. As a result of Island Harvest Food Bank’s dynamic business model, more than 94 percent of expended resources go directly to programs and services that support over 316,000 Long Islanders facing hunger. Island Harvest Food Bank is a lead agency in the region’s emergency response preparedness for food and product distribution, and is a member of Feeding America®, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization. Island Harvest is a four-star-rated nonprofit by Charity Navigator, an independent charity watchdog organization. More information can be found at www.islandharvest.org.