Bronx Parent Housing Network Combating Food Insecurity By Handing Out Meals In Vulnerable Communities
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Children are being affected in many ways by COVID-19. In just last month, the United Nations warned that children are in danger of malnourishment and poverty due to the pandemic.
And that is being felt right here at home, CBS2's Nina Kapur reported Friday.
Dozens lined up outside a New York City Housing Authority complex in the Soundview section of the Bronx to receive a week's worth of hot, healthy meals.
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While food insecurity is no stranger to the city, it's being felt now more than ever.
"During this pandemic we are all just trying to stay safe and still be able to provide for our families," a resident named Shawn said.
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Shawn and his 10-year-old brother, Raheem, said for at least for the next seven days their family won't have to worry about where their next meal will come from.
It's a luxury many take for granted.
A new study out of Brookings Institution's Hamilton Project shows households with young children are among the most vulnerable to food insecurity. In all, 1 in 5 children in the United States are not getting enough to eat.
"Most families, they didn't think about breakfast, lunch, right, because the kids were in school," said Victor Rivera of the Bronx Parent Housing Network. "I know personally that there are people who are making decisions between buying food and paying the bills."
FLASHBACK: Coronavirus Update: NYC Food Pantries Sound Alarm Over Lack Of Supplies, Volunteers, Funding
It's a problem the Bronx Parent Housing Network and local officials aim to tackle by distributing food to vulnerable communities twice a week.
"No family, no parent should have to worry about whether they're going to starve or whether their children are going to starve, so if we can ease the strain on their lives just a little bit, then that's worth doing," Councilman Ritchie Torres said.
Over in Connecticut, Chopper 2 captured hundreds of cars lined up to receive food from a mobile food pantry in Bridgeport. Thirty-two tons of food, or 50,000 meals, were given to residents facing food insecurity.
The mission is shared across the tri-state area to ensure no child goes hungry, and no parent has to chose between paying bills or putting food on the table.
