We have witnessed the disaster of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, NY. Queens, the heart and soul of New York City, is where the true heroes live who risk their own safety for so many others. Queens is now known as the epicenter of the coronavirus with nearly 60,000 confirmed cases and one of the highest death rates in the city.

Francine LeFrak knew she must respond to this dire situation after watching the food lines in the Queens neighborhoods that her father, Sam LeFrak, built. The people in Queens are really suffering. This is a tsunami. Many have lost their jobs and they are worried about feeding their families. The demand for food has quadrupled and 38% of food pantries have closed. The reality of people running out of food is an alarming reminder of the economic hardship so many are facing.

The Francine A. LeFrak Foundation, changes the lives of those who need an opportunity to achieve success, decided to direct its resources to responding to this crisis by donating to Food Bank For New York City to provide 1,000,000 meals for people in Queens. The Foundation is also working to encourage others to help feed Queens residents. Through press and radio interviews, we are challenging people to help us provide a total of 4,000,000 meals to those who need it the most, so that no child is going to bed hungry.

With 80% of people living paycheck to paycheck, they are worried about when and if they will work again. “While we cannot give them jobs, we can give them food and we can give them hope.” For every $1 donated, 5 meals will be provided to someone in need.

Please help us deal with this food shortage crisis in Queens, NY by visiting www.foodbanknyc.org/LeFrak .