'9 MILLIONS REASONS' BATTLING NYC FOOD INSECURITY: 'We're just trying to meet the needs however they need to be met'

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- There are hundreds of organizations that alleviate food insecurity in New York City, but few extend their efforts to provide more than 9 Million Reasons, the outreach arm of Long Island City's Evangel Church.

9 Million Reasons, whose name is a nod to NYC's population, serves more New Yorkers than any other organization of its kind, "distributing high-quality groceries and essential supplies to vulnerable members of our community," according to its website.

The group supplies food to 275 other food pantries scattered across the five boroughs, Nassau County, Yonkers and Mt. Vernon. In addition to food, 9 Million Reasons provides clothing and resources, including ESL and GED classes, job training, immigration help and community events.

Keith Thomas is a volunteer and has been involved in community service for over 20 years. Every week, he visits Evangel Church to collect food to bring back to the food pantry at Rogers Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brooklyn.

“It was really a headache to find source food before I met the folks here at 9 Million Reasons,” Thomas said. “I’d be running from here to there to different pantries just to get enough supply to feed the people. This place has been a blessing to us.”

9 Million Reasons has fed over nine million people since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they’re not stopping any time soon. Every month since then, they’ve averaged about 200,000 people a month.

Asked if there were any areas that needed more attention than others, Rev. Carolyn Marko, the executive director of 9 Million Reasons, said people of all backgrounds are in line waiting to get food.

“Migrants, immigrants that have been here for many years, homeless, people in the shelter, white collar, blue collar, doesn’t matter,” Marko said. “People drive up in Mercedes getting food, and you’re like, ‘Well, they have so much money.’ But you see, they’re used to living at a certain standard, and now once everything gets raised and they don’t make any more money, what takes a hit, and it’s always the food.”

New York City's poverty rate was 23% in 2022 -- nearly twice the national average -- meaning that about two million residents live in poverty, according to a report by Robin Hood and Columbia University. In addition to the residents already in need, migrants have been flowing into NYC since the spring of 2022, and though the influx has slowed, people still arrive in need of aid.

“We’ve had the honor and privilege of seeing about 50,000 migrants since a year and a half ago,” said Marko. “We’ve given them clothing, given them food. It’s been a wild experience and we’re just so grateful that we could be here.”

Diana Villegas, who migrated from Venezuela nine months ago, has been with the organization since her arrival. Villegas spoke with a translator and said she feels calm and relaxed within the organization.

Villegas said the organization has helped her adjust to her new environment. In turn, she helps cook and prepare meals for the volunteers, adding that she feels as if they are all family.

Earlier this year, Mayor Eric Adams began enforcing 30-day and 60-day shelter limits on migrants. Because of that, Marko said that they’re also focusing on helping migrants find housing, jobs and even nannies for their children.

“We’re just trying to meet the needs however they need to be met,” Marko said, “and we want to make sure that we’re always growing and changing according to those needs because it changes. Especially in a hundred years, things have definitely changed but there’s always people that are in need [and] that hasn’t changed.”

9 Million Reasons is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday.