“At Friday’s pantry, we are working with Public Safety to collect toys for the  children in our Roosevelt Island Community,” reports RIDA president Wendy Hersh.

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

“This will be the last pantry until after the New Year,” Hersh added. The Roosevelt Island Disabled Association has given away vital provisions since the start of the pandemic. And the Public Safety Department has pitched in every week, helping with line control and COVID safety concerns.

Now, RIDA turns the tables, aiding PSD in their annual toy drive.

“A box will be placed at the food  pantry check in at the lobby of 546 Main Street on Friday,” Hersh said.

“I am hoping that those who we were continuously providing food for will consider bringing a smile to a child’s face this Christmas and donate a new toy or book. RIDA has donated about 30+ toys already and we are waiting for another 50 from a partner of ours.”

More from the Roosevelt Island Daily

• 
  Tuesday’s PSD blotter: noise calls, a harassment reportNovember 11, 2026
  RIOC’s Nov. 10 PSD blotter lists 15 incidents, all on Main Street, including four noise complaints, a harassment report and one hospital transport.
• 
  Queens Public Library Ransomware Attack: Digital Services Still DisruptedNovember 11, 2026
  The Queens Public Library ransomware attack continues to disrupt public computers, digital books and online services, with no confirmed restoration date.
• 
  A new RIOC appeals officer denied records on how its general counsel was hiredNovember 10, 2026
  A different RIOC appeals officer denied records on how RIOC hired general counsel Lance Polivy. RIOC’s internal deliberations on the hire stay withheld.
• 
  Monday’s PSD blotter: two hospital transports, two disputesNovember 10, 2026
  RIOC’s Nov. 9 PSD blotter lists 14 incidents, including four aided calls with two hospital transports and a verbal dispute at 750 Main Street that drew FDNY.
• 
  Flushing Spa Murder: Man Charged After Woman Found Stabbed to DeathNovember 10, 2026
  Flushing spa murder investigation leads to a murder charge against a 54-year-old man after a woman was found fatally stabbed in a Queens storefront.

Introduce Yourself Again

Felina, the failing Westside Pier and the public space nobody could quite define

Eleanor Rivers Jul 31, 2026

On June 18, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Real Estate Development Advisory Committee gathered to discuss ground leases, retail agreements and pieces of the west-side waterfront that had been waiting patiently for the government to remember them.

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