New York City has a serious problem with homelessness, and 40% of people in NYC shelters are kids. While there is a multitude of charities, food banks, shelters and so on, there simply are not enough, and thousands live in the subway system, many more on the streets.
Coinciding with homelessness, but a very separate problem, is feeding the hungry. Many people everyday who have a place to live and even a job can't afford to eat 3 meals per day, or even 2 meals per day.
Called the New York City "meal gap," the amount of meals that people need but can't afford or get through aid, is at 235,000,000 for the whole City per year.
But there's a relatively new app called Spare NYC dedicated to closing the meal gap.
Spare works much like many debit card plans where each purchase is rounded up to the nearest dollar and transferred to your savings.
Spare has adapted the concept to tabs at restaurants and offers the option to round up and donate to Food Bank for New York City and City Harvest.
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But will it make a difference? Yes. If 10% of New Yorkers round up their tab for total of $6/month each, we could close the meal gap in one single year.
And you even earn rewards for being charitable. For example, if you round up three times in a month at the same location, you'll earn a free cocktail. If you round up five times in a month at the same location, you'll earn a free appetizer or dessert.
Think about it: if a cocktail at an average NYC restaurant costs anywhere between $8-$14, and you round your bill up three times at the same place, amounting to-- at the absolute most --less than $3, you get free booze valued at about three times your convenient donation.
via Spare NYC
Founder Andra Tomsa laid it out like this: "The consumer is getting something back, far more than what they've given, the restaurant is essentially engaged in a loyalty rewards program, and the food bank is able to feed more people."
So it's really a win-win-win. Everybody wins. There are currently 15 NYC restaurants participating in the program. We recommend you try them out, and round up for the hungry.
1. Blue Mediterranean (2356 Arthur Avenue - the Bronx)
2. BO's (6 West 24th Street)
3. Bronx Beer Hall (2344 Arthur Avenue - the Bronx)
4. Ceetay (129 Alexander Avenue - the Bronx)
5. Charlie's Bar & Kitchen (112 Lincoln Avenue - the Bronx)
6. City Hall New York (131 Duane Street)
7. East Side Billiards (163 East 86th Street)
8. Emilia's (2331 Arthur Avenue - the Bronx)
9. Luzzo De Mikele (275 Church Street)
10. Luzzo Ovest (513 West 27th Street #2)
11. Luzzo's (211-13 First Avenue)
12. Luzzo's BK (145 Atlantic Avenue - Brooklyn)
13. Parlor Steakhouse (1600 Third Avenue)
14. Pugsley's Pizza (590 East 191st Street - the Bronx)
15. The Writing Room (1703 Second Avenue)
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Each one of these restaurants is great in their own respect. There's a lot of unique Bronx flavor in the mix, and that should be enough to visit any of the 6 restaurants listed there. Check these spots out, round up, and help feed someone in need with the tap of a button. Download Spare here.
Check out 8 Ways to Make Living in an NYC Apartment So Much Easier.
[Feature Image Courtesy TheTakeaway]