Women Leading Change | Dr. Melony Samuels

Over 1 million New York City residents face food insecurity every day. But there are those among us who are dedicated to helping their neighbors overcome it. Last week we featured Evelyn Heilbron of Community Center Services Organization Corp (CCSO) and her work to  ensure everyone has food on their table at the end of each day. Today, we feature Dr. Melony Samuels of The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH).

Dr. Melony Samuels saw a need and felt compelled to act. After hearing of a woman in need, she and her husband packed some bags with groceries right away. This made her aware that the woman in need was not an isolated case. So, in 1998, she founded a small, traditional food pantry in a church basement.

With her business mindset, Dr. Samuels set to work. By 2005, she had created The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH). What started with a few bags of groceries now includes mobile pantries, which reach the South Bronx, the Rockaways, and all of Brooklyn, two robust Urban Agro-Ecological Centers, a social services office, a community kitchen and nutrition education hub, and a youth and leadership development program. Today, this nonprofit organization provides services to over 300,000 unique individuals each year.

During the Pandemic, the need for food was at an all-time high, but providers were closing out of fear. Dr. Samuels was afraid, too, but she held firm. With hundreds of people in line for food, she said, “I literally prayed and asked God, “Help me, I need a warehouse. I know it’s an impossible ask.”

Three days later, Broadway Stages offered her use of an 11,000-square-foot warehouse at 101st Street in Brooklyn. Using this space, TCAH built partners on the ground, took the food to partners, bought additional vehicles, and started moving food.

Dr. Samuels said, “It is just a natural thing for any human being to know someone is in need and to do something about it.” You can take action by helping TCAH help others throuh a donation or by volunteering. And since TCAH is very active in many communities, it would be good to keep an eye on their Instagram and Facebook pages, too.

As you can see, Broadway Stages is inspired by strong, passionate women like Evelyn Heilbron of Community Center Services Organization Corp (CCSO) and Dr. Melony Samuels of The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH) and their fight against food insecurity. We strongly encourage you to fight this scourge in your community, too. Because of these women’s good work, you don’t have to start from scratch. Contact them. They will put your support to work right away. And when you do, tell them Broadway Stages sent you!