The coronavirus slammed families across the spectrum, but the Roosevelt Island Free Food Pantry pushes back each Friday. Hunger’s given less of a toehold because our neighbors find a way.
By David Stone
Hunger Meets Its Match
Untangling the chaos immediately following the early onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, local groups scrambled to compensate for losses. That is, losses of jobs, income, available food and moral support.
Chief among them, the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association (RIDA), under Wendy Hersh, and the Carter Burden Network converted the Senior Center into a Free Food Pantry.
It operates for two and a half hours, every Friday.
Health checks are mandatory, but community services also means free masks and helpful brochures.
The crisis deepened through the summer, but RIDA, CBN and volunteers kept at it.
Because Queens-based 9 Million Reasons gathers food for all and shares, Roosevelt Island is less hungry.
More fresh variety at the Roosevelt Island Food Pantry
Residents in need get numbers earlier in the day, and then, they wait outside the senior center. Demand is high with 160+ families helped every week, but fair weather helps.
Roosevelt Island’s Free Food Pantry gets a week off…
With Thanksgiving coming up next week, the free food pantry takes a rare week off, but they’ll be back, first Friday in December.
More from Assorted Ideas, Large & Small
- Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: Get Answers on 2027 Changes
- Wednesday’s PSD blotter: two medical calls, a water leak, a custody report
- Six-Unit Apartment Building Planned for 10th Street in Astoria
- Tuesday’s PSD blotter: noise calls, a harassment report
- Queens Public Library Ransomware Attack: Digital Services Still Disrupted
The Budget Knew Before the “Emergency”
The demolition began on paper long before the City invoked emergency authority to carry it out. In RIOC’s fiscal 2013-14 budget, the Corporation set aside $7 million for fiscal 2015 for the complete demolition and cleanup of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant. RIOC called that figure its worst-case scenario, meaning the State corporation might be left responsible for the entire cost.
2 COMMENTS