ABOUT TCAH

The Campaign Against Hunger’s beginnings was undeniably modest—Dr. Melony Samuels, TCAH’s CEO, and Founder, responded to the needs of one single mother struggling to feed her four children. She would later serve 50 families in a church basement in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Fast forward 25 years to today, TCAH is one of NYC’s food security champions, serving over 1.5 million New Yorkers in 145 zip codes and a whopping 15 million nutritious meals annually.

TCAH believes all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their background or circumstances. TCAH’s holistic model of providing equitable access to healthy food coupled with wrap-around services is indicative of our commitment to solutions that respond to the ever-changing needs and social context of the communities we serve. TCAH’s multifaceted approach provides culturally-relevant foods and builds and celebrates community through nutrition services, public benefits access, urban farms, culinary programs, youth employment opportunities, and other vital programs and services.

A brick-and-mortar food pantry served the organization well for the first decade but ultimately limited our capacity to reach a growing community of working families, immigrants, seniors, and youth. In response, TCAH began to envision and realize different models of food distribution to reach those who, for various reasons, could not come to our physical location on Fulton Street.

By seeking ideas from community members currently using its services, TCAH continues to innovate and develop a robust and varied approach to supporting those who need food to address their limitations and maintain their dignity. TCAH established the Urban Healthy Food Coalition – a core group of community leaders and advocates, after the pandemic to address gaps in food access across underserved communities throughout NYC.