Our Journey | RIVER FUND

1989

1991 - 1992

RIVER FUND, founded on Thanksgiving Day to provide food, gifts and comfort for people living with HIV/AIDS. A purely volunteer based organization
Started the process to become a food pantry and served 42 people in the first “line”
Determined the best way to reach our neighbors was to provide food rather than meals
Distributed 700-1000 pounds of groceries, 7 days per week, per household

1995 - 1998

Pioneered the Mobile Pantry system
Launched our RIVER FUND “Street Relief” Mobile Food Outreach Program at Rufus King Park in Jamaica, Queens
Moved into its current 2,500 square foot facility and “learned to do more with less”
Qualified, officially, for and obtained 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status

2001

Partnered with restaurants and chefs and served round the clock meals for first responders at Ground Zero for more than six months

2002 - 2004

Moved to larger facility on Lefferts Boulevard
Qualified for the United States Department of Health Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Program and secured membership to The Food Bank of New York City and partnered with the United Way of New York
Built onsite Pantry warehouse and purchased first Mobile Hunger Relief Program van with contributed funds by Phillip Morris/Kraft Foods
Granted certification as an authorized Food Pantry in NYC with the federal Emergency Food Assistance Program

2005 - 2008

Launched “Thanksgiving Dinner Kit” and “Holiday Gift Giving” and “Back to School” Program with support from partners including the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, COSTCO and State Farm Insurance
Received Volunteer Group of the Year Award from the Terrance Cardinal Cook Center recognizing our work with those living with HIV/AIDS
Established Benefit Access Center and utilized “Family-by-Family Approach” model
Created partnership with St. John’s Bread & Life which allowed us to deliver the Robin Hood Foundation funded “Single Stop Program” to our neighbors

2009

Upgraded our food assistance program from the “Pantry Bag” model to “Client Choice”
Began partnership with City Harvest and Feed the Children
Enlarged office space (from 150 square feet to 500 square feet) to expand advisory and income support services
Qualified for annual FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program
Began Child Shoe Program with Payless Shoe partnership – SHOES FOR KIDS

2010

Michael Tiedemann was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors and helped broaden RIVER FUND’s community to advance its work
Received The Food Bank of New York City Community Service Excellence Award
Appointed RIVER FUND Founder and Executive Director Swami Durga Das to the Food Banks’ Advisory Board

2012

Arrived as the very first emergency food program to arrive in the city’s flood zones behind Superstorm Sandy and partnered with the American Red Cross and the United States military to distribute 323 tons of product to 87,000 people in two months
Awarded a federal grant of $534,000 to continue working in the affected areas – as one of only eight hunger relief organizations to be considered.
Vetted by both the Robin Hood Foundation and the American Securities Foundation and received grants that allowed RIVER FUND to transition from being 100% volunteer based to providing long-standing team-members with compensation
Partnered with Fresh Air Funds to provide children aged six years old and up with visits with host families across 13 different states and Canada – where they can experience the joys of summer in the country.
Recognized as the very first organization to craft mobile pantry model under the Federal Hunger Prevention and Nutritional Assistance Program (HPNAP)

2013

Launched America’s very first “Child Poverty Awareness Day” on the second Sunday in August – an annual event to encourage businesses to pay attention to the plight of the needy children in their respective communities

2015

Established Cradle to College and Mary C. Tiedemann Scholarship Fund to make bridge-grants available to youth - there are 67,720 college age kids living in poverty in New York City, because of financial reasons, only 314 will make it to graduation. As of today, we have 62 attendees of the program and 22 graduates, all of whom are gainfully employed!
Hosted first fundraising event at the Metropolitan Club inducting Sybil and David Yurman into the Frontline Force

2016

2020

Responded immediately to the COVID-19 pandemic and deemed an essential service by New York State
Created the “grab and go” food pantry that was modeled by the Food Pantry New York City

Ramped up program from one to six days a week
Quadrupled production, logistics and output. Prior to the pandemic, served 15,000 households per week, now at 33,000 and on average, 2 million pounds of groceries per month. Prior to COVID-19, RIVER FUND distributed 6.5 million pounds of groceries per year

2021

Honored RIVER FUND’s 30^th Anniversary on Thanksgiving Day by New York State, City and in the borough of Queens
Recognized as a leading Frontline Poverty Center in New York City that now offers more than 40 social-service benefits to client in 40 zip codes throughout the city
Acquired adjacent property expanded logistics and production footprint through the Social Impact Opportunity Fund
Launched RIVER TO SUCCSSS Educational Pathways Learning Center which includes the Mary C. Tiedemann Scholarship Fund, Mentoring Program, Behavior Program – P4P Scholars and Internship Program