Flushing community relaunches food
co-op to support local families in need
BY BILL PARRY
Commonpoint Queens is
thanking Queensboro Football
Club, Zion Episcopal Church
and St. Astasia’s Council #5911
Knights of Columbus for their
support of the organization’s
ongoing efforts to provide groceries
from their Digital Food
Pantry for homebound seniors
and immunocompromised individuals.
“Words cannot express
how grateful we are to our local
community organizations
for standing with us and supporting
our efforts to get food
into the homes of older adults
in our community,” Commonpoint
Queens CEO Danielle
Ellman said. “Community
coming together to support
our vulnerable inspires us in
our commitment to serving all
people who come to us.”
Commonpoint Queens’
food pantry at 108-13 67th Rd.
in Forest Hills is open Monday
through Friday from 9 a.m. to
2 p.m.
An auxiliary food pantry is
now open for curbside pickup
at the Tanenbaum Family Pool
at 58-25 Little Neck Pkwy. in
Little Neck Monday through
Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
To schedule a pickup
email vovalle@commonpointqueens.
org or call 718-
423-6111.
Meanwhile, Councilman
Barry Grodenchik joined the
Commonpoint Queens Sam
Field Center in Little Neck to
deliver homebound seniors in
Little Neck.
Like most centers, the
Commonpoint center has shut
its doors, but not its business
of serving the community.
The center has delivered more
than 20,000 meals to 22 neighborhoods.
“It was my honor to volunteer
TIMESLEDGER | 10 QNS.COM | MAY 8-MAY 14, 2020
for Commonpoint Queens
delivering food to residents of
eastern Queens,” Grodenchik
said. “I thank Commonpoint
for the tens of thousands of
meals that it has delivered to
seniors across Queens County
and for all that the agency continues
to do. I have been a leading
advocate for emergency
food throughout my tenure in
the council and I pledge to continue
to work toward securing
the funds that help feed every
New Yorker who needs food assistance.”
Grodenchik tested positive
for the coronavirus after having
been sick since March 13.
He was in isolation with his
family for the duration of his
illness but has made a full recovery.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by
e-mail at bparry@schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4538.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
For more than 25 years,
Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) has become a
popular way for consumers to
buy local seasonal food directly
from a farmer.
And on May 1, Flushing
residents relaunched Flushing
CSA, a volunteer cooperative
that seeks to expand healthier
and sustainable food options
for families during the COVID-
19 crisis.
The Flushing CSA includes
locals such as Golden Earthworm
Organic Farm, Just
Food, the Greater Flushing
Chamber of Commerce and
Queens Macaroni Kid.
The COVID-19 pandemic is
wreaking havoc throughout the
American food system. Tens of
millions of pounds of fruits and
vegetables are rotting in the
fields as food banks across the
nation scramble to meet a massive
surge in demand. The twopronged
disaster has deprived
farmers of billions of dollars in
revenue while millions of jobless
Americans struggle to feed
their families.
The Flushing CSA helps to
leverage a stable food supply
chain and maintain a critical
connection with farmers, while
also supporting local jobs and
creating important community
relationships.
Shares in the 2020 Flushing
CSA Season will cost $598
a year and provide 25 weeks
of vegetables — or about $24
a week of food — enough to
feed an entire family. Confidential
financial assistance is
available to those who cannot
afford the full season price
thanks to the generosity of local
business owners and CSA
members who donate to support
families in need.
“Flushing CSA is a fantastic
value. It seems a bit high
upfront, but breaks down to
less than $25 a week — $25 at
a farmers market doesn’t buy
five to seven varieties of organic
vegetables, but that’s what we
get every week from our CSA,”
said Emily Griffin Sheahan,
publisher of Flushing Queens
Macaroni Kid.
Members can pick up their
share weekly on Thursday evening
at a central neighborhood
location. Flushing CSA vegetables
will come directly from
the Golden Earthworm Organic
Farm in Long Island and are
delivered to members — with
no middle man or additional
handling of food. This system
reduces the risk of contamination
as well as limits the carbon
footprint and fits the “100
mile” criteria for “locavores”
who prefer to eat food grown by
local farmers.
Kate Feuer, a longstanding
member and resident, looks forward
to the start of every season
with excitement and seeing
the familiar faces of members
that make up the Flushing CSA
family.
“There is no doubt that the
fresh organic vegetables obtained
through the CSA have
encouraged the healthy and adventurous
eating habits of my
three young children,” Feuer
said. “Since joining Flushing
CSA, I have had the joy of experiencing
vegetables that I
had never eaten before and it
has encouraged me to get really
creative in the kitchen. I
feel good about supporting a local
organic farm with the most
virtuous intentions.”
John Choe, executive director
of the Greater Flushing
Chamber of Commerce,
said by relaunching Flushing
CSA they hope to empower
neighbors to learn about ecology
and demand a healthier,
more vital food system that
supports local economies.
“We may not only eat healthier
and help our community
become more resilient through
Flushing CSA, but also support
a local economy less dependent
on breakdowns in the global
supply chain,” Choe said.
The deadline to join the
Flushing CSA is Friday, May
15. The application form to become
a member is available at
www.flushingcsa.com.
Photo via Flushing CSA
Commonpoint Queens staff and volunteers have delivered more
than 20,000 meals to 22 neighborhoods across the borough.
Photo courtesy of Commonpoint Queens
Organizations donate to support
Commonpoint Queens’ food pantry
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/www.flushingcsa.com
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/www.flushingcsa.com
