Food Bank for New York City is putting veterans first while also tackling the food insecurity crisis across the city. 

Right now, the organization has 136 pantries in the Bronx and 227 pantries in Brooklyn, with more than 800 across the boroughs—11 of which specifically support our veterans. 

Kwadwo is a 20-year Army veteran who now works at the Hunts Point warehouse in the Bronx. He says the organization has shed a light on his core values, which always involve serving the community. 

"Even when we deliver food and we drive up to the pantries, just the reaction on people's faces - you know, the embracing. Sometimes they even give us hugs, which is totally out of the norm, especially for New Yorkers," Kwadwo tells News 12. 

"Service before self is one of the core values in the Air Force, and that's something that we do here, you know, providing services, providing impact. Making sure we're putting our organization in the right places to provide," Food Bank for New York City associate director Ronald Olaizoia tells News 12.