Reverend Carolyn Marko and 9 Million Reasons: The Unstoppable Force Behind NYC’s Largest Food Relief Effort

Reverend Carolyn Marko, the founder of 9 Million Reasons, is a true inspiration. She is taking on food insecurity in one of the hardest cities in America, New York City. When we met Reverend Marko, she was running a food pantry from her church during the COVID pandemic. The need in NYC was so great that for every meal she provided, there were 100 more people an hour who needed a meal. She came into contact with us through Linda Laviollete, one of our board members, and we have been sending her truckloads of food and products EVER SINCE. Her need was so great in NYC that every time we sent a truck filled with millions of dollars worth of products and food, she had the capacity and wisdom to distribute it to the neediest in her area. Two years after the pandemic, her operations have exploded, and she now feeds over 200,000 to 800,000 people a month in NYC. That is a staggering number of people being reached by one woman’s determination to tackle food insecurity in NYC. Additionally, she has become a hub and created other partnerships, so her endeavors are feeding all five boroughs of NYC. Our media people toured her operations and reported that they were astounded by Rev. Marko’s drive to help the people who are hungry in the city of New York. She went from doing an interview to getting into a semi-truck to get more products. We are so proud of all the work she is doing in NYC, and we are excited about what our partnership will bring to NY and to those who are food insecure.