Kids and cops team up to feed Harlem community
Members of the NYPD Transit 1 joined volunteers from the Church of the Ascension to distribute food to the Harlem
community on July 17.
BY DEAN MOSES
Offi cers and youth volunteers hit
a slam dunk over the weekend
as they worked together to aid a
community in need before facing off in a
friendly basketball game.
Although the Big Apple is emerging from
the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no escaping
the fact that the worst disaster to hit the
city since the Sept. 11 terror attacks has
left a fi nancial burden on many residents
that will continue to impact them for a long
time to come.
Breadlines reminiscent of the Great
Depression-era spread throughout the city
as fast as the virus itself during the height
of the pandemic, and yet even now there
are those still struggling to put food on
their tables as a result.
On July 17, NYPD’s Transit District 1
teamed with Church of the Ascension’s
youth group, the Spirit Squad, in front of
the house of worship on 221 West 107th
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
St. to distribute bags of food to those in
need. Lining up with carriages and carts in
tow just after 9:30 a.m. that morning, both
the youth and attending offi cers braved the
Captain Gorman presented Robin Klueber with a challenge coin.
sweltering heat to ensure the Harlem community
was cared for.
“The police department is always looking
for ways to connect to our community,
and here we have an opportunity to not
only connect with our community but to
connect to the youth here,” Captain Kenneth
Gorman told amNewYork Metro.
The community care force not only
helped pack the bags of fruit, vegetables,
and canned goods into carts, they also went
the extra mile. Loading bundles of bags
into the back of police vans, the children
joined the NYPD as they made deliveries
to the homebound, such as the elderly and
disabled, who are still going without suffi
cient food access.
“In addition to the families who come
here as well, we’ve been able to partner
with some of the youth volunteers and
deliver to some of the families who are not
able to come down to the church,” Captain
Gorman explained, pointing to police vehicles
that traveled back and forth to deliver
the essentials.
When the program began pre-pandemic,
the church fed about 70 individuals,
however, since that time the number has
skyrocketed to volunteers serving approximately
400 Harlem locals. Although the
director of religious education Robin Klueber
credits the children for their tireless
efforts, she helped guide the Spirit Squad
to change the lives of hundreds. For her
efforts, Gorman presented Kuleber with a
challenge coin to honor her contributions.
After their work distributing the food
items, the NYPD offi cers and the Spirt
Squad strengthened their bond by squaring
off in a basketball game. The match saw the
likes of Captain Gorman dribbling against
youth members inside the church’s gymnasium
as fellow offi cers and other children
eagerly watched the game and cooled off
with ice pops.
The games begin with youth and NYPD officers
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