THE ISSUE?

EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC NEARLY 1.5 MILLION NEW YORKERS DIDN’T KNOW WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL WOULD COME FROM.

Far too many New Yorkers are struggling with food insecurity with rates in NYC increasing by 36% overall and 46% among children during the pandemic.

Local communities stepped up to help by creating an innovative network of volunteer-maintained refrigerators offering free, fresh, nutritious food. The fridges allow all neighbors to take what they want without judgment and leave what they can. Community fridges won’t solve systemic food insecurity on their own, but they offer no-strings-attached access to fresh food, spotlight the serious issue of food insecurity and offer an innovative solution to reduce unnecessary food waste. 

In times of crisis New Yorkers have each other’s backs and alongside Desus & Mero, The Bronx’s very own, a unique partnership took action by bringing food to communities and driving attention to this ongoing crisis.

THE ACTION

SHOWTIME, CITY HARVEST AND NEW YORK FOREVER LAUNCH COMIDA GRATIS WITH LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW DESUS & MERO®  TO HELP FEED NEW YORKERS ACROSS THE CITY

The goal of Comida Gratis was to engage Desus & Mero’s fanbase and platforms for an important cause. The campaign set out to help bring fresh food to 80 fridges throughout the city, spotlight the neighbors doing the work, and rally support to address the city’s hunger crisis. City Harvest, New York’s first and largest food rescue organization, gathered and delivered food to the fridges. SHOWTIME and New York Forever, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a stronger future for all New Yorkers, helped amplify awareness. Launched in October to commemorate World Food Day on Oct. 16, Comida Gratis was a first-of-its-kind, consolidated effort to fill all 80 community fridges across the five boroughs.

THE RESULT

RAISE AWARENESS. SPUR ACTION. INSPIRE COMMUNITY.

The Comida Gratis campaign provided over 14,000 lbs of food over 5-days, amounting to ~189lbs of food per fridge, recruited 93 volunteers, and was shared with Desus & Mero’s 2 million combined fans and countless viewers who tune into their SHOWTIME show to further amplify the message.
This community grassroots activation gained awareness from the local press, enthusiasm from DESUS & MERO fans, and demonstrated New York at its best—neighbors helping neighbors.