14 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 22, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Flushing food pantry helps feed Queens families in need
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A long line of people wrapped around
several blocks of La Jornada food pantry
waiting to take home groceries, while
crates of emergency food, provided by the
City’s Pandemic Food Reserve Emergency
Distribution (P-FRED), were taken inside
on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Th e food pantry, located at 133-36
Roosevelt Ave., has been feeding thousands
of Queens families for years, but
has been put into overdrive since the pandemic
began to hit the borough in March.
On Tuesday, dozens of people waited in
the rain — not to pick up food, but just to
be placed on their distribution list.
Several Queens elected offi cials joined
the Mayor’s Offi ce for Food Policy
Director Kate MacKenzie of the Mayor’s
Offi ce for Food Policy to distribute the
pallets of emergency food, including
Congresswoman Grace Meng, Assembly
members Catalina Cruz and Ron Kim,
Councilman Peter Koo and Human
Resources Administration Administrator
Gary Jenkins.
La Jornada’s Executive Director Pedro
Rodriguez also gave the offi cials a tour of
the volunteer-run pantry.
“I am incredibly grateful to
Congresswoman Meng, Assemblywoman
Catalina Cruz, Mayor de Blasio, and
Director MacKenzie for delivering 55 pallets
of fresh produce today, which will help
combat food insecurity in Queens,” said
Rodriguez. “My organization has been
at the forefront of ensuring our neediest
families have the healthy food they
need and deserve. No one should ever
go hungry, especially during a national
health crisis. Today’s delivery is in
part due to Congresswoman Meng and
Assemblywoman Cruz who are invaluable
allies and friends. Because of their leadership,
many families will have fresh fruit,
vegetables and other staples to eat.”
Th e items on the pallets included apples,
potatoes, oranges, yams, kale, peppers,
grapes, carrots, cucumbers and celery.
Th rough the City’s P-FRED, Meng was
able to secure 55 pallets of fresh produce
to deliver to La Jornada.
Th e delivery comes in response to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
(USDA) change to the Coronavirus Food
Assistance Program’s (CFAP) Farmers to
Families Food Boxes initiative, impacting
which boroughs could be served by specifi
c vendors.
Queens Congresswomen Meng and
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said they’d
work to remedy the issue aft er La Jornada
began to petition for the program to be
restored in response to receiving a letter
from the USDA that it had canceled their
program.
Many pantries in Queens, including La
Jornada, which works with other pantries
to help feed some of the hardest-hit communities
in the borough, were suddenly
without vendors or guidance on who
they could contract with to purchase food
supplies, as a result of the change.
Meng’s offi ce noted the problem was
further complicated because the USDA
did not provide overlap in service, or general
assistance to those suddenly without
a vendor.
“I thank the mayor and Director
MacKenzie for working with me to bring
emergency food supplies to La Jornada,”
said Meng. “USDA’s sudden changes to
the CFAP initiative created confusion as
food pantries suddenly found themselves
with vendors who no longer could provide
relief even though they have the
capacity to do so. Th is left families in
limbo and exacerbated existing hardship
many face exposed to food insecurity.
Because of COVID-19, people have lost
their jobs and the Trump administration’s
inability to lead this nation has meant
additional challenges for my constituents.
I hope today’s delivery will ensure La
Jornada can continue its critical work to
ensure that no family goes hungry.”
New York City is ensuring pantries
are well-stocked with healthy food
options, with a focus on fresh produce
distribution in high-need neighborhoods,
identified by the Task Force on
Racial Equity and Inclusion, through
the P-FRED program.
Th e initiative is leveraging the federal
Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) funds that were included in the
City’s “Feeding New York” plan, a way to
use available resources to meet the deepest
of needs.
More than 300 pantries have received
notifi cation of the program and order
forms so far, with plans to deliver over
31,000 more cases of fresh produce to
emergency providers, totaling approximately
1.2 million pounds of fruits and
vegetables.
Pantries interested in participating,
especially those that serve the highest
Photos by Dean Moses
need communities, should email
FoodReserve@cityhall.nyc.gov.
“Far too many New Yorkers are struggling
to make ends meet,” said MacKenzie.
“Th e Pandemic Food Reserve Emergency
Distribution Program is designed to
ensure that food pantries in the city’s
hardest hit areas have great quality fruits
and vegetables. Th rough this program,
putting a healthy dinner on the table can
be just a little bit easier for our hungry
neighbors.”
Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, who
represents Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson
Heights, said their community faced food
insecurity “long before” the pandemic,
but the issue has only been exacerbated.
“Th e federal government’s recent changes
to the funding of crucial food pantry
organizations such as La Jornada, has created
a void for families who rely on these
services to survive,” said Cruz. “I want to
thank Congresswoman Grace Meng for
her advocacy on behalf of thousands of
families, as well as the mayor and Director
MacKenzie for ensuring that La Jornada
can continue feeding our neighbors in this
time of crisis.”
Before the end of the elected offi cials’
visit, one volunteer walked up to them
and said, “Don’t forget us!”
Additional reporting by Dean Moses.
/WWW.QNS.COM
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