Meng and AOC vow to fight for Flushing food pantry funding

The line outside La Jornada pantry in Flushing stretched down the block in September 2019, months before COVID-19 exacerbated food insecurity. Eagle file photo by Steven Vago

By Rachel Vick

An abrupt federal funding cut to a popular Flushing food pantry has touched off a wave of advocacy among Queens elected officials who say the squeeze will only worsen food insecurity in the borough.

La Jornada, a pantry serving Flushing for more than a decade, lost the grant it received through the federal Coronavirus Food Assistance Program earlier this month. That funding allowed the organization to serve as a conduit between local farms and Flushing residents.

Reps. Grace Meng and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said they would investigate why the U.S. Department of Agriculture is cutting funds to La Jornada and other pantries even as COVID-19 exacerbates food insecurity in Queens. 

“Not having access to these funds would have a devastating impact on so many in our borough who depend on the services that La Jornada and others provide, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis,” Meng said. 

The number of Queens residents turning to food pantries has surged since March as a result of the health and financial impact of the COVID crisis. Nevertheless, a new relief package for food assistance has stalled in the Senate. 

“The House has passed a bill that would provide financial and nutritional relief to those in our districts facing hunger and other economic challenges due to COVID-19,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The Republican Senate’s refusal to allow a vote on these measures is appalling.”