Flushing food pantry gets new industrial fridge

La Jordana Executive Director Pedro Rodriguez was joined by Rep. Grace Meng, Assembly member Catalina Cruz and Borough President Donovan Richards for the unveiling of a new industrial fridge on Monday, June 14, 2021.  Photo via Donovan Richards/Twitter

By Jacob Kaye

A Flushing food pantry that has worked to feed thousands of Queens residents throughout the pandemic became the proud owner of a new fridge earlier this week.

La Jordana, a cultural food pantry based at the New York City Housing Authority’s Bland Houses, was gifted the industrial size refrigerator by U.S. Grace Meng on Monday, June 14.

“La Jornada has worked tirelessly to feed people in Queens, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Meng said. “I thank them for all they do to make sure that families don’t go hungry, and this new refrigerator will help the organization do an even better job in assisting borough residents who experience food insecurity, especially our children.”

The fridge is expected to mainly store milk for around 2,000 children per week, according to Meng.

“La Jornada in Flushing has been a lifeline for so many families facing food insecurity,” Queens Borough President Donovan Richards said on Twitter. “This is what community looks like.”

Around 228,000 people in Queens were food insecure in 2019, according to a report by Feeding America. The pandemic greatly increased food insecurity in the borough and the city, nearly doubling the rate in Queens in 2020.