Initiated to Combat Food Insecurity Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, "Veterans Feeding Veterans" Program Builds Upon Public-Private Partnership to Provide Fresh and Healthy Meals to Those In Need

HelloFresh Announces Continued Financial Support for This Program Through 2023

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that one million meals have been distributed to New York's veterans, service members and their families through a partnership between the New York State Division of Veterans' Services and HelloFresh, the world's leading meal kit delivery company. Initiated to combat food insecurity that was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the partnership builds on the successful Nourish New York initiative, a multi-agency effort to reduce food insecurity and support food producers across the state. At the same time, Governor Hochul announced that HelloFresh has committed to funding the program through 2023 to help ensure continued access to fresh and healthy meals to New Yorkers who have served and continue to serve.

"Throughout the pandemic, New Yorkers rose to the occasion and stepped up to help our most vulnerable, including our veterans and their families, during unprecedented circumstances,"Governor Hochul said. "We thank HelloFresh for this continuing partnership, which helps combat food insecurity and ensures those who served our great State and Nation are able to access fresh and healthy foods on a consistent basis."

"We owe our veterans and military families a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay," said Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado. "Through this partnership with HelloFresh, we will continue to address food insecurity facing veterans and service families during the holiday season and beyond. It was an honor to join friends and local veterans at the headquarters for Campaign Against Hunger today to celebrate the program's success and to kick off its next chapter."

Lieutenant Governor Delgado joined HelloFresh US CEO Uwe Voss to highlight the program's success during a visit to the Campaign Against Hunger headquarters. Earlier today, veteran volunteers packed 2,000 meal kits at the headquarters that will be delivered to veterans and military families for the Thanksgiving holiday. The kits contain turkey and trimmings, including russet and sweet potatoes, cranberries and other fruits and vegetables; cheesy chicken skillet kits; and squash and bean pasta kits.

HelloFresh US CEO Voss said, "We're especially proud to support veterans and military families - a group that has selflessly served the country - but recognize there is still work to be done in alleviating food insecurity and making fresh food accessible to all New Yorkers. We are thankful to New York State and our partners with New York State, NYC Department of Veterans' Services, The Campaign Against Hunger, and Black Veterans in helping to make a meaningful impact in the community through our Meals with Meaning program."

New York State Division of Veterans' Services Director Viviana DeCohen said, "The commitment of service continues for so many, and this initiative is a shining example of veterans serving their fellow veterans and military families. No veteran, service member or military family should ever experience food insecurity. We commend Governor Hochul for her leadership and commend HelloFresh for their generosity and using their resources to address this issue. We also thank our community partners for their work week in and week out to bring this program to life."

HelloFresh and New York State began the "Veterans Feeding Veterans" initiative in June 2020. Veterans and military families face food insecurity at twice the rate of the general public and during COVID-19, this impact became even greater as many could not leave their homes due to vulnerable health. The program provided a lifeline for veterans ranging in age from their early-20s to their mid-90s in New York City, the North Country and Western New York.

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, "This is a wonderful example of collaboration between government, business and advocacy groups to fight food insecurity among those who have sacrificed so much for their country. Thanks to these donated meals, New York veterans and military families will continue to have healthy and nutritious food, as well as everything they need for a festive Thanksgiving."

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball said, While we can never fully repay the debt we owe to our veterans, we can do everything in our power to support and uplift them once they've returned from service. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and Hello Fresh in their work combatting food insecurity. This continued partnership will help advance our mission in ensuring every New Yorker can put food on their table, especially the brave men and women who fought for our freedoms."

Each week in New York City, volunteers with Black Veterans for Social Justice and The Campaign Against Hunger pack and assemble free HelloFresh meal kits for veterans, service members and their families who are facing food insecurity. The meal kits are packed at The Campaign Against Hunger's headquarters and distributed, with the weekly organizational assistance of the New York City Department of Veterans' Services.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, "Food insecurity among our veterans and military families is a moral and national outrage and we must demand better. Those who served have made incredible sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and we have a moral obligation to take care of them when they are struggling. Ensuring that veterans and military families have access to quality food is critical to that moral obligation, to maintaining readiness in our active-duty forces, and to ensuring that potential recruits see the military as a desirable career. Partnerships such as the Veterans Feeding Veterans initiative are vital in addressing the issue, and I want to thank HelloFresh for their contributions and efforts in feeding our veterans and military families throughout New York."

State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud said, "Today, just a few days after we honored and celebrated our veterans on Veterans Day, we are celebrating New York State's Veterans Feeding Veterans Initiative's One Millionth Meal Distribution. The partnership between the state Division of Veterans' Services, New York City Department of Veterans' Services and HelloFresh in providing meals, goes a long way in restoring dignity to those who served our country. It is our responsibility to ensure that no veteran is without a meal and I applaud this partnership. We will continue to work to provide support services for our veterans.

New York City Department of Veterans' Services Commissioner James Hendon said, "We at the Department of Veterans' Services are humbled by this one millionth meal milestone. It is further proof that when we work together as a community, we can create initiatives and build partnerships capable of tackling food insecurity for our Veterans and their families head on."

The Campaign Against Hunger Executive Director and Founder Dr. Melony Samuels said, "We are celebrating HelloFresh's one million meal milestone! The Campaign Against Hunger's partnership with HelloFresh, New York State and New York City has changed the trajectory of food insecurity among our veterans. Our veterans have served our country, and it is our responsibility to give back and meet their food insecurity needs. As we work together, we are impacting change. Weekly, these veterans volunteer at The Campaign Against Hunger to ensure that their fellow veterans and families receive healthy nutritious meals. As one of the most robust and most impactful anti-hunger champions in New York City, TCAH is honored to serve our veterans."

Black Veterans for Social Justice CEO Wendy McClinton said, "These meals were essential to Veterans, their families and the community. Veterans and their families benefit because many veterans are on a fixed income below or close to the poverty level, especially those with families. These meals not only save the family expenses but allow them to buy healthy food and allow them family quality time by preparing the meal together and sitting down to enjoy a home cooked meal as a family. The preparation of the meals by the partnering organizations enlightened many Veterans on agriculture, how produce is grown, and distributed. Many Veterans are now engaging in neighborhood gardens as a method of mental health therapy as a direct result of understanding more about how food insecurity affects so many Americans, especially Veterans."

About the Division of Veterans' Services

The New York State Division of Veterans' Services, which has served as the state's advocacy agency for veterans, service members, and military families since 1945, maintains an agencywide commitment of serving all veterans, service members, and military families in a wide range of practice areas, including claims and appeals for benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, discharge upgrade appeals to the United States Department of Defense, and claims for New York State benefits. Veterans, service members, and military families are encouraged to contact the Division at 888-838-7697 or its website to meet — in person or virtually — with an accredited Veterans Benefits Advisor to address their needs and gain the full measure of benefits that they have earned. Follow DVS on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About HelloFresh

HelloFresh is the world's leading meal-kit company and operates across 18 international markets. In 2021, HelloFresh delivered more than 450 million meals to customers across the U.S. With a focus on helping Americans eat more sustainably, HelloFresh is the first carbon neutral meal-kit company. HelloFresh was named America's Best Customer Service for Meal Kits in 2020 and voted the Most Trusted Meal Kit Delivery Service in America in 2021 and 2022 by Newsweek. HelloFresh was founded in Berlin in November 2011 and has U.S. offices in New York, Chicago, and Boulder.