NEW YORK COMMON PANTRY RAISES MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION MEALS FOR HUNGER RELIEF AT ANNUAL FILL THE BAG BENEFIT

Sara Moss and Peter Diminich Honored for Their Dedication to Ending Hunger: New York, NY, March 4th, 2020 – New York Common Pantry, the city’s leading hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout New York City, welcomed and celebrated with executives and friends across the food, beauty, and other industries as it hosted its 12th Annual Fill The Bag Benefit. The charity, headed by Stephen Grimaldi, Executive Director, is dedicated to reducing hunger throughout New York City while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency. The Fill the Bag Benefit took place at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City and surpassed previous records with the attendance of over 500 guests and by raising more than $1.4 million to combat hunger and food insecurity in New York City.

Willie Geist served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Mr. Geist is the host of NBC News, Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist. He is also a co-host of MSNBC¹s Morning Joe and a regular host and contributor to TODAY, as well as to NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and Meet the Press. 

The evening honored Sara Moss, Vice Chairman, The Estée Lauder Companies, with “The Distinguished Partner Award” and Peter Diminich, Managing Director, ING, with “The Estée Lauder Companies Distinguished Volunteer Award” for their commitment to hunger relief in New York City through their work with the New York Common Pantry.

“Every day, New York Common Pantry’s heroic work is improving the lives of our neighbors in need by giving them access to fresh and healthy food. I am so proud to be part of The Estée Lauder Companies who has been a longtime partner and supporter of the Pantry and look forward to continuing to work together towards our shared goal ending food insecurity in New York City,” said Ms. Moss. 

“This evening we celebrated the many ways that New Yorkers set an uncommon table by continuing to propel and support New York Common Pantry’s goal of ending hunger, and each honoree was honored for their commitment to creating lasting, positive change to feed New Yorkers in need. Our mission rests on decades of personal legacies of goodwill New Yorkers who chose to establish this organization,” said Steven Grimaldi, Executive Director, New York Common Pantry.

“Last night, I had the privilege of being amongst an impressive collection of individuals that truly believe in ensuring that the Pantry is not only able to continue its current mission but expand it further into the community. Being in a room full of these people, and their incredible generosity and positive energy, really made the moment of receiving the Distinguished Volunteer Award a truly humbling and rewarding experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” said Mr. Diminich.

For more information please visit www.nycommonpantry.org or follow @NyCommonPantry (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Images available upon request. New York Common Pantry, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that reduces hunger and promotes dignity, health, and self-sufficiency. To learn more about our programs and to donate visit, www.nycommonpantry.org.