Meng and AOC vow to fight for Flushing food pantry funding
/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.”