Established in 1983, the Food Bank For New York City (“the Food Bank”) has been working to end food poverty in the five boroughs of New York City (i.e., Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, and Staten Island) for forty years and counting. As the city's largest hunger-relief organization, the Food Bank employs a multifaceted approach centered on helping low-income New Yorkers overcome their circumstances and achieve greater independence. Food Bank powers an extensive member network of over 800 food pantries, community kitchens, senior centers, shelters, campus partners and other community-based organizations across the five boroughs.
As a passionate philanthropist committed to giving back to my local community, I founded Accountants United in January of 2023 in an effort to bring the accounting profession together throughout the five boroughs to provide greater awareness of the noble mission of the Food Bank and raise much needed funding to support the multifaceted verticals that they provide to many communities that are in need throughout the five boroughs. The Food Bank supports our communities on a myriad of levels including, but not limited:
- Free Meals & Services through their Community Kitchen and Pantry located in West Harlem that serves more than 100,000 meals each month through the soup kitchen, food pantry and senior giving program. The Food Bank’s team includes professional chefs, community nutritionists, program administrators and caring volunteers ensuring families and individuals receive healthy and nutritious meal choices;
- The Senior Program, which launched in 2012, provides a place for elders to get together, enjoy a meal and gather for special events. In addition to meals and pantry services, seniors can enjoy activities and are provided with insightful resources such as health management workshops and nutritional guidance; and
- As one of the nation’s largest Internal Revenue Service Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (“VITA”) providers, the Food Bank provides eligible New Yorkers with free tax compliance filing services and has put more than $1.2 billion back into the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers. The VITA program, an IRS-sponsored program relies on hundreds of dedicated accounting volunteers to ensure filers receive the crucial and necessary tax refunds they depend upon and ultimately helping people fight poverty rates and food insecurity.
I encourage accounting firms throughout the five boroughs to join our virtuous journey to end food insecurity in the five boroughs as together we can make a greater impact in furthering the mission of the Food Bank. Please help us and join Accountants United today at https://give.foodbanknyc.org/Accountants-United
If interested in exploring how your accounting firm can join Accountants United through your accounting firm’s existing Stewardship Program, Planned Giving Program, and / or Charitable Foundation, please contact Peter J. Scalise the Founding Chairman at
About the Author
Peter J. Scalise serves as the Federal Tax Credits and Incentives Practice Leader for the Americas at Prager Metis CPAs, LLC, a member of the Prager Metis International Group. Mr. Scalise is a highly distinguished Big Four Alumni Tax Practice Leader with approximately thirty years of progressive public accounting firm experience developing, managing, and leading large scale tax advisory practices on a regional, national, and global level.
Mr. Scalise is also a passionate philanthropist who champions over a dozen charities nationwide in connection to environmental conservation; poverty and hunger alleviation; economic development; health and social services; supporting veteran and military service personnel along with preserving arts and cultural programs. Mr. Scalise is currently serving on the National Board of Directors for the Prager Metis Charitable Foundation Inc, a I.R.C. § 501(c)(3) organization; the Founding Chairman of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Accounting Industry Leadership Council; and the Founding Chairman of Accountants United for the Food Bank For New York City.
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