Looking to interview residents about whether U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies are impacting their day-to-day lives for our regular “Inquiring Photographer” series, Norwood News was outside the Big G Deli at the corner of Jerome Avenue and East Mosholu Parkway North in Norwood on Sunday, May 25, when we were approached by a child who was no more than 14 years of age.

 

Hesitating for a moment before going inside the store, the teen told us, “My mother told me to go to the store and steal some food. ”The teen asked, “Can you keep look-out for me?” We said to the youngster, “Don’t do it.”

 

The teen entered the store anyway and returned several minutes later with two bags of potato chips and $1 in his pocket. Referring to a store employee, he happily told us, “I didn’t have to steal; he gave it to me.”

 

He explained how the man behind the counter gave him the two bags of chips and a dollar. Smiling, the youngster crossed Jerome Avenue and disappeared into the crowd.

 

The man working behind the counter was later asked if he gave something to the boy, and the worker responded, “Yeah, I gave him a dollar.” He also confirmed he gave him the two bags of potato chips.

 

Despite having paid for the chips himself, the worker didn’t want to disclose his name for fear his boss would be angry with him but was ok with us publishing this story.

 

Thirty minutes later, outside a check cashing business located on East Fordham Road, next to the office of U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-15), a 17-year-old girl carrying a half-empty bottle of water, approached us and referring to the water bottle, she said, “I’m a runaway and this is all I’ve had all day.”

 

The young woman then asked, “You’re not recording me, are you?” We confirmed we were not. The teen alleged she was being abused at home and had run away two weeks earlier. She said she had been staying with a 21-year-old male.

 

Not wanting assistance, the teen was urged to call “Under 21” in Manhattan which takes in homeless youth with no questions asked, as well as POTS (Part Of The Solution) a nonprofit which works to feed and assist the City’s unhoused population located on Webster Avenue, where she could get a hot meal and a bag of food to go. The young woman took the information provided and walked away alone, headed west across East Fordham Road.

 

Earlier this week in Bedford Park, two young people, one male and one female, both of whom looked unwell, were outside a deli located in the vicinity of East 205th Street, the girl seated on some steps, groaning and looking very disoriented. Her eyes suggested she was high.

The young man with her appeared clear-eyed but had dark circles under his eyes and looked sleep deprived. They asked if we would buy them some food at the deli.

 

Since it was too late to order hot food at that point, we gave them cash and suggested they try getting some hot sandwiches at another nearby deli which stayed open a bit later.

 

When they left the area and we reentered the first deli, an employee asked if we had given them money and we confirmed we had. He shook his head and said he had noticed the the couple in the area in recent days asking other people for money and said when they received some, they used it on lottery tickets.

 

We mentioned that the young man had not asked us for money, though we ended up giving him cash in the end. He had approached us asking for food. The worker seemed somewhat skeptical of the couple’s motives/plight.

 

On Friday, May 30, the Office of State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) shared some fliers on social media, which explain that his office provides assistance to residents applying for SNAP [The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program], WIC [The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children], and other benefits. Details are attached.

 

WIC offers a variety of nutritious foods to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding or postpartum women, infants and children up to age five. According to Hunger Solutions New York, many families are eligible for WIC and may not be aware, including grandparents, dads and other caregivers of eligible children. Residents can learn more about WIC here.

SNAP helps low-income working people, senior citizens, the disabled, and others feed their families. Eligibility and benefit levels are based on household size, income and other factors. SNAP recipients are being advised by New York State to protect their EBT cards from scams. Learn more here.

 

In 2024, according to its website, POTS, which as reported, opened a second location on the Grand Concourse in 2023, served over 3 million meals to residents provided through lunch service and its pantry, serving over 15,000 households, totaling $15,100,000 in economic value. They say approximately one-fourth of Bronx residents are currently living below the poverty line and this year alone, POTS will help about 35,000 people with a multitude of needs.

 

POTS officially opened its expanded headquarters at 2759 Webster Avenue in Bedford Park on May 20 (story to follow) with ambitious plans to serve the largest number of New Yorkers since the pandemic hit. Officials said the expansion and renovation is aimed to break the cycle of poverty for more families each year.

 

According to its website, POTS’ services address “the varying complexities that accompany poverty by helping clients find stability across areas such as financial well-being, health, education, housing, and day-to-day needs.” They add, “By providing comprehensive and personalized support to our clients, we are able to address their unique circumstances and help them navigate a pathway forward.”

 

We reached out to POTS to ask if they have seen an increase in the number of people dealing with food insecurity since the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), formerly run by billionaire tycoon Elon Musk, recommended to the Trump administration to cut certain social programs. We did not receive an immediate response but will share any statistics we receive. The effects of the cuts on New York City nonprofits have been reported on in recent weeks and months by various outlets, as well as by the city comptroller.

 

Meanwhile, when contacted about the growing hunger and food insecurity issue in the City, founder and president of The Solution to Hunger, Inc., Crystal Wolfe, said, “The cuts affect all the nonprofits in a myriad of ways. For me, I’m particularly frustrated because I’ve been running my nonprofit, The Solution to Hunger Inc., without funding, salary, or volunteers for 8 years.”

 

She said hers was the third leading hunger nonprofit in NYC, yet, she said, most people didn’t know about their work because they have “no funding to advertise it.” She said an unnamed politician the nonprofit has worked with for eight years said last year he would probably give the organization funding to alleviate hunger in his district during 2025.

 

“I’m tired of doing so much to help so many people in so many communities without support,” Wolfe said. “The other nonprofits are now where I have been from the beginning. Most nonprofits get shut down or don’t run without funding. I try to get funding for my nonprofit every year, and it looks like I may have to continue to work without pay or much support indefinitely because I will not give up. I actually care about people in need and ending hunger. Those who do will continue to serve the community, even if they have to take pay cuts to do so.”

 

Back in Fordham, as we watched the teen walk away and reflected on the effects of the Trump tariffs, budget cuts, and mass firings that have taken place in the last few months, the worst consequences of which may not yet be apparent to the middle class, we were left wondering what the next few weeks and months will look like.

 

To support POTS’ work, residents can visit their website here.

 

Síle Moloney contributed to this story.