SNAP Recipients Can Buy Groceries Online

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

By DAVID CRUZ

Online grocery purchases are now a possibility for food stamp recipients, thanks to a pilot program. The program allows recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy SNAP-approved food from FreshDirect and Amazon. Lobbying efforts from the Bronx Borough President’s Office and federal legislators convinced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to widen the acceptable food outlets SNAP benefits can take advantage of as a way to improve access to affordable food in areas where food deserts are the norm in the Bronx. It also gives a revenue boost to FreshDirect and Amazon. SNAP benefits come in a reloadable

By DAVID CRUZ

This week we asked readers the one thing they would like to see President Donald Trump do and/or not do in his first year in office. I would like to see him make America great as he said he wants to do. I don’t want to see him take away Obamacare, unless he can replace it with something that’s going to be more effective and will include more people. I’m hopeful, let’s give him a chance. Barbara Wadell-Steele Mott Haven I don’t want him to deport any immigrants, because this city was made by immigrants. I’m afraid of Donald

By DAVID CRUZ

Anti-Bias Day at Bronx Community Charter School Hours before Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, one of Broadway’s staunchest critics against Mr. Trump visited the Norwood section of the Bronx to hear lessons of tolerance. Brandon Victor Dixon, an actor who plays Aaron Burr in the popular Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” and who garnered greater fame for delivering a measured, unprecedented message of tolerance to Vice President Michael Pence days after Election Day, came to Bronx Community Charter School on Webster Avenue to spread that message and to hear from students. “I love

Hello Fellow Readers! The latest edition of the Norwood News, covering all things Bronx, specifically Norwood, is out with plenty of community news you can use. As all stories go, we’ll begin on page one and our front page story focusing on the upcoming HOPE Count by the New York City Department of Homeless Services, which is still dealing with a major homeless crisis. Read what the count is all about and why it’s been met with controversy over the years. Turning to the inside pages, we take a look at some glimmer of hope to the topsy-turvy saga that’s

By DAVID CRUZ

At the corner of Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue, amid snow, onlookers were attracted to the sounds of tambourines clanging and drumbeats popping from a roving band of residents in Kingsbridge Heights celebrating the Caribbean-born holiday of parranda. The holiday, usually celebrated during the Christmas season in the Caribbean, saw participants singing lively songs throughout Kingsbridge Heights, a largely minority neighborhood that’s home to Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. The island of Puerto Rico is known to celebrate parranda yearly. Jose Ortiz, a.k.a. Dr. Drum of BombaYo Culture En Vivo, a music group, led the crowd along Kingsbridge Heights on Jan.

By DAVID CRUZ

More than a dozen convicted sex offenders, with convictions that include the rape of a 10-year-old child, have moved within the confines of the 52nd Precinct. Officers at the precinct, which covers the neighborhoods of Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, and University Heights, were made aware of the move by probationary officers. Officers have since stopped by community meetings to alert residents. Sex offenders are required to register their name on a database following their conviction and release. They must tell authorities they’ve moved to a new neighborhood each time, or possibly serve time. The registry can be found

WITH CHILDREN BY their side, officials hold up a $50,000 check awarded to Mosholu Montefiore Community Center that’s been earmarked for scholarships allocated to at-risk youth looking to complete an advanced certificate training program and other costs. Sharing in the celebration is (l-r) John P. McGann, Chief Administrative Officer, Bank Leumi; Avner Mendelson, Chief Executive Officer, Bank Leumi; MMCC Chief Executive Officer Rita Santelia; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; MMCC educational advisor Jeff Coopersmith; MMCC Director of Development Laurie Meltzer Bandremer; and Jaya Bateman Nahmiyas, Associate Director, UJA-Federation of New York. Photo by Adi Talwar

HOPE Count, Set for Feb. 6 Aims to Get Snapshot of Homeless Population

By DAVID CRUZ

Survey comes amid surge of homeless-related calls to 311 in community The makeshift camp on a hilltop on East Mosholu Parkway North stood empty, and the circumstantial evidence of occupancy was clear: pillows, cookware, and empty gallons of water. Residents say it’s an encampment for the homeless, a retreat for the night. And should anyone be camped there at the predawn hours of Feb. 6, they will be among those counted by the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The agency, still attempting to find homes for the 62,000 homeless individuals, will once again conduct its annual

By By DAVID GREENE

This week we asked readers if they believe the accuracy of the most current statewide jobless figure of 5.1 percent and whether these jobs pay enough for a person to pay their bills and grow into the job. I don’t think so. Maybe these jobs can pay a part of a month’s rent. I mean, I’m a college student. They’re not the kind of jobs you can sustain a life by yourself, but if you had a roommate or lived with family, it could help. A lot of these jobs seem like fast-food jobs. I’ve noticed that if you know