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May 22-28, 2020
‘OUR MOST IMPORTANT WORK’
Rosedale American Legion volunteers distribute food to hundreds of residents in need
BY TODD MAISEL
The line to the American
Legion Post 483 in Rosedale
snaked around the block along
Brookville Boulevard on May
13.
Those waiting were asked
to provide social distancing
between each other, and wear
masks. But it was worth the few
hours wait to get much needed
food provided by a multitude
of agencies to help people during
this COVID-19 and the
associated economic crisis.
“My husband lost his job,
and we are just trying to get by
– but even grocery prices have
gone through the roof – I spend
$500 a month and it just keeps
getting more expensive,” said
Marlene Hurley, a resident of
Rosedale. “Getting this food is
so important to my family and
look how many people are here.
It really helps.”
This food distribution pantry
is one of four American Legion
pantries and one soup kitchen
in the south Queens area. They
each serve 300-400 people each
week, Legion officials say.
The American Legion post
is made up of veterans of all
branches of the military, led by
its Commander, Lee Blackmon,
Vietnam Veteran going back to
1969 combat duty. But Blackmon
realizes that he is now in another
war with “an enemy that we
Members of the American Legion in Rosedale fed hundreds of residents left unemployed or hard
pressed to buy food for their families. Photos by Todd Maisel
can’t see.”
“A lot of people are out of
work so this time so we are doing
our most important work
here in the pantry,” Blackmon
said. “We are helping the pantry
to distribute the food – we
cannot be a veterans organization
without being here for the
community.”
Blackmon, whose post has
been working the food pantry
for six years even before COVID-
19, said they are down many
volunteers because of “fear of
coronavirus.”
“There is not a lot of volunteering
because of the fear,
so the people who are coming
0ut during this pandemic are
some of the most brave people I
have ever met,” he said. ” Even
though we are a veterans organization,
we are warriors and a
lot of warriors have died – that
these volunteers have come out
to give food for people who don’t
have is the best thing.”
He continued, “I’ve been
to Vietnam and I’ve seen the
wars but I’ve never seen nothing
like this. People are putting
their lives on the line, people
are dying and getting sick
– but the volunteers are coming
out here, there couldn’t be
anything better.”
Much of the food is supplied
from a variety of sources including
City Harvest, the Food Bank
Senior Program, and on this
day, and from Bishop Adrian
Beaumont, Church of God in
Christ, Blake Avenue in Brooklyn
who brought a van loaded
with bread.
“We are here to do our part
to help our fellow man,” Bishop
Beaumont said. “We must all
help each other in this difficult
time.”
Major Sharon Sweeting-
Lindsey vice commander of
post 483 and director for the
food pantry, led a prayer service
with volunteers before opening
the doors to the long line of
people in need.
And like a true military
commander, the discipline of
her troops and those she’s serving
are important. Vets marked
the ground outside for social
distancing – Commander Blackmon
and other vets patrolled the
line – everyone wearing masks.
Tables were set up inside the
100-year-old building, a former
public school, where each person
was given a choice of what
food they needed. Bags were
also put together for delivery to
home-bound seniors.
“As a retired major and dietician
I’ve always been in the
area of foodservice – so when
I retired I make sure all of our
military posts engaged in selfless
service to the community,”
Lindsey said. “The challenge is
people who have never visited
a food pantry are now coming
to our pantry – we’ve seen exponential
growth in terms of
how many people are coming.
Some come with a little bit of
shame because they never visited
a pantry before – we try to
take the indignity out of it. We
make them feel welcome, feel
that we are here to help them –
we greet them, and make sure
they get all the food they need
– we try to make it a welcoming
experience.”
Vol. 8, No. 21 40 total pages
2021
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