New York Common Pantry mobile service delivers on community mission
NEW YORK - Many people affected by food insecurity are seniors who often live in food deserts without access to fresh, healthy options.
CBS2's Season of Giving #BetterTogether community partner, New York Common Pantry, brings bags of groceries where they are needed most.
Each day brings a different delivery for the NYCP mobile pantry team, an extension of the walk-up grocery service.
"We could put what happens here out on the road. And so we serve people where they are, and that's really important," said NYCP deputy executive director Judy Secon.
Born during the pandemic, the mobile pantry program shows no signs of slowing. One of the regular deliveries from the East Harlem headquarters goes to the George Washington Houses a few blocks away, one of 130 sites.
"When you feed somebody, that's key to the soul," said Claudia Perez, who has lived in the complex for 30 years. "It's like feeding the soul."
Perez and Adah Carrion help coordinate the hundreds of neighbors served by the drop-offs, many of whom have mobility challenges that come with age.
"They can't just eat just anything," added Carrion, "and when you're on a special diet, especially when you have to eat a lot of organic and fresh fruits, it's expensive."
READ MORE: #BetterTogether: Season of Giving
As part of the pantry's plan to nourish these neighbors, volunteers host classes to give advice, along with the sometimes-unfamiliar options offered.
"You may never have seen a squash," Secon said. "How do you cook it? What do you do with it? How do you store it? How do you keep it? So all our lessons are very relevant to the people we serve."
Perez said her home has become much more of a community as everyone helps each other stay healthy.
"Thanks due to this program, it's opened up so many other doors," she said, "because we also have the youth who volunteer and then it becomes intergenerational."
Washington Houses also houses a free fridge, filled with any excess food they find from nearby restaurants, open 24 hours a day.
"It's not just feeding people who have homes," Perez said. "It's feeding people that doesn't have homes. It's just making food accessible to everyone who is in need."
Innovative approaches like these aim to chip away at area hunger, acknowledging the magnitude of the matter.
"We have to treat it not as an emergency," Secon said. "We have to treat it as an ongoing intractable issue in the city, and we have to design our resources in order to confront that."
Meantime, New York Common Pantry continues to combat food insecurity one meal at a time.
Saturday, Dec. 17, join the CBS New York team at three New York Common Pantry locations across our area. Volunteers will be in East Harlem, the Bronx and Queens collecting your donations for those in need. Learn more here.
Have a story idea or tip in Harlem? Email Jessi by CLICKING HERE.