HUNTS POINT, the Bronx — Bronx leaders recognize the very real problem of food insecurity in the borough. It’s why they do what they can to help twice weekly.
Melba Bacourt, 83, came to stand in line for food on Southern Boulevard with her chair and food cart at 9:30 a.m.
Ever since her senior center closed due to COVID-19, Bacourt said she has to frequently skip lunch.
Since April, Councilmember Rafael Salamanca Jr., Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., the Met Council and the Hunts Point market team up twice a week to distribute food, converting Salamanca’s district office into a food pantry.
Every Tuesday and Thursday they feed about 500 families.
The Bronx was hit hard; the borough now has a 24.9% unemployment rate. That’s the highest in the state.
One quarter of food pantries and soup kitchens in the Bronx have closed since the start of the pandemic, according to the Food Bank for NYC .
The Met Council has distributed more than two million pounds of food in the Bronx since March.
It’s a personal mission for Salamanca. His father died of COVID-19 in April.
Now, he said that making sure people have access to fresh food during the pandemic is his top priority.
There’s a distribution every Tuesday and Thursdays at 12 p.m. at 1070 Southern Blvd.
Read More: Bronx City leaders help feed hundreds of families in Hunts Point twice a week