Photo by David Greene
With food insecurity never as widespread as it has been throughout 2020, elected officials across the borough were out in force, once again, a few weeks ago handing out frozen turkeys so that Bronxites could enjoy a regular, traditional Thanksgiving dinner, despite the abnormal atmosphere amid the pandemic.
On Monday, Nov. 16, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. joined representatives from FreshDirect and City Harvest at the corner of East 137th Street and Alexander Avenue in Mott Haven, to distribute 700 turkeys with all the trimmings, as well as PPE to local residents. In a press release ahead of the event, Diaz wrote of the joint initiative, “One thing this pandemic has done is highlight the importance of partnerships between the private and public sector.”
Photo by David Greene
Diaz was joined at the event by Hip Hop’s Slick Rick whose company, Slick Rick Music, Inc., and the Kai Family Foundation co-sponsored the event. The borough president praised the collaborative efforts of the various partners in organizing the giveaway. “FreshDirect is a shining example of how private entities have stepped up big time for The Bronx in these trying times, not only working with elected officials to make sure our neediest communities get access to much-needed groceries, but also making sure our pantries are fully stocked with items to feed our most vulnerable residents.”
By Thanksgiving, City Harvest said it has sourced and delivered over 72 million pounds of food to needy New Yorkers since the beginning of the pandemic. CEO, Jilly Stephens said the need was so high, that lines at pantries and soup kitchens stretched for blocks, but added that the turkeys and other holiday food distributed at the various food events helped hundreds of New Yorkers have a truly happy Thanksgiving.
Photo by David Greene
Diaz held a second turkey giveaway at the Bronx Veteran’s Administration Medical Center on West Kingsbridge Road on Thursday, Nov. 19, which was sponsored by Waste Management, Inc., who partnered with the Bronx VA, the Bronx borough president, and the Veteran Advisory Council.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, Councilman Fernando Cabrera was joined by volunteers from the NYPD’s Sergeants Benevolent Association in handing out free turkeys to residents of the New York City Housing Authorities Fort Independence Houses on Bailey Avenue in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx.
Later that day, the councilman joined members of the Latin American Chaplains Association International on Garrison Avenue in Hunts Point to distribute turkeys to residents in that community.
On Sunday, Nov. 22, Cabrera stood with police officers at the 46th precinct on Ryer Avenue as they handed out turkeys to residents of Fordham Heights, and on Nov. 23, he held turkey giveaways at the Flow Kingdom Ministries in West Farms, as well as at the Love Gospel Assembly on the Grand Concourse.
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, Cabrera joined members of the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families at P.S. 279 for another turkey giveaway at 2100 Walton Avenue in Fordham Heights. Announcing the event, he wrote, “People need a way to feel joy and hope now that the holiday season is approaching. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many losses, undue stress, and food insecurity for many Bronxites.”
On the same day, Cabrera was present for a giveaway of an additional 200 turkeys at the FLOW Kingdom Ministries, as well as additional giveaways held for seniors at Fordham Hill Oval, and for residents of the New York City Housing Authority’s Monsignor E. Roberts Moore Houses. Another giveaway was held on Friday, Nov. 27, at the New Life Bronx Church on Morris Avenue in Fordham Manor.
According to Claire McLeveighn, Cabrera’s director of communications, the councilman distributed a total of 1,300 turkeys in the lead up to Thanksgiving. “The councilman participated in a press conference calling attention to food pantries’ need for donations as they are overwhelmed by demand, as COVID has forced many more people who never needed food to now go to pantries,” McLeveighn wrote.
When contacted, Cabrera’s office did not respond to several requests from Norwood News regarding the cost of the turkey giveaways, nor who had sponsored the food.
Meanwhile, in City Council District 13, Councilman Mark Gjonaj, his staff and volunteers distributed 4,000 turkeys and chickens, and over 3,000 food boxes to local organizations and agencies.
In addition to two events held at Gjonaj’s district office, his team also distributed turkeys to residents of New York City Housing Authority’s Throggs Neck Houses, Pelham Parkway Houses and to the seniors at Randall Balcom Houses.
Gjonaj’s office said turkeys were also distributed to more than 20 community based organizations, including the Throggs Neck Volunteer Ambulance Services, Boy Scout Troop 211 and Community Board 10, as well as another 25 local churches and religious organizations. According to Gjonaj’s chief of staff, Reginald Johnson, the turkeys were funded through a “budget allocation to Catholic charities.”
On Monday, November 23, Cabrera joined Congressman Peter King, Gristedes and D’Agostino Supermarkets CEO, John Catsimatidis, and members of the St. Francis Food Pantries and Shelters at the St. John’s Bread of Life church in Manhattan as they discussed the record high demands at food pantries and shelters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release relating to the event, Cabrera said, “We’ve now seen the number of people experiencing food insecurity double to more than two million – close to 25 percent of the entire population of the city. While the federal stimulus package helped, the stalemate caused at the federal level has left people stranded, depending on food pantries to feed their families.”
Indeed, food insecurity has soared in the Bronx due to the economic downturn, leaving thousands out of work. According to figures from the New York State Department of Labor statistics, the Bronx had previously reached a record low of 4.4 percent unemployment in December 2019. When the pandemic hit, it skyrocketed to a record high of 24.9 percent in July 2020.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell in New York State from 9.7 percent to 9.6 percent in October 2020. Meanwhile, the rate for the United States was 6.9 percent, the rate for New York City was 13.2 percent and unemployment in the Bronx stood at 17.5 percent. Cabrera added, “Now the pantries and shelters are in desperate need of help. I’m here to call attention to this crisis.”
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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