Queens Village pantry continues decades-long mission of fighting food insecurity
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A food pantry at the Hollis Avenue Congregational Church has stepped up efforts to fight food insecurity during the pandemic. Google Maps
By Milette Millington
For 10 months and counting, the 95-year-old Hollis Avenue Congregational Church has ramped up efforts to fight food insecurity in Southeast Queens.
COVID-19 has hit the region particularly hard, with the predominantly Black community reaching an average positivity rate of just over 9 percent, higher than the citywide average, Health Department data shows.
The public health crisis has only exacerbated existing problems, like poverty and hunger, but the church, founded in 1926, has a long history of supporting neighbors in need.
“We don’t turn anyone away. Anyone who comes can get food,” said Church President James G. Thomas. “No ID is needed, and they only have to provide their name and the number of people in their household on the sign-in sheet.”
Pantry demand has increased by 150 percent during the pandemic, Thomas said, but recipients can still count on some diverse and delicious offerings.
On Jan. 5, the pantry provided chicken patties, pork, eggs, milk, yogurt, mixed fruit, canned soups, canned beans and fresh vegetables to visitors. The items are donated by organizations like City Harvest and the Food Bank for New York City, as well as a Whole Foods in Manhasset.
The pandemic has forced the pantry to change the way it operates in order to protect its volunteers, mostly older adults from the neighborhood, Thomas said..
“We had to reengineer the way we do business, going from allowing people to choose what foods they wanted to doing grab-and-go,” he said.
The coronavirus also meant diverting a chunk of the $12,500 budget to purchase personal protective equipment. The church spent $500 on masks and $800 for cleaning materials, as well as $2,000 on gas to pick up bulk food donations.
“There has been a really great reception from the community regarding the food pantry. In the midst of the pandemic, the pantry’s capacity has increased 150%.
The goal, Thomas said, is to get a grant worth between $200,000 to $250,000 to better serve the community. “We are one of few food pantries still open,” he said.
Rene Hill, a pantry volunteer and candidate for city council, speaks to another volunteer at the Hollis Avenue Congregational Church food pantry. Photo courtesy of Shepard House Studios
The 16 volunteers who prepare the pantry and distribute food have their work cut out for them each week.
They begin by disinfecting and sanitizing all appliances, work areas, tables, racks and rolling carts. And they spend the weekend collecting the items to be distributed. Once the items are collected, volunteers begin organizing them into two categories: dried items and canned items.
Next, executive director Rev. Jerry Greene and site supervisor Sandra M. Johnson meet to determine which volunteers will work each week and what items get distributed. They also review assigned volunteer tasks and make sure the volunteers comply with health and safety guidelines during the pandemic.
The weekly pantry distribution furthers the church’s mission of strengthening the community by providing healthy options for people experiencing food insecurity, said Rene Hill, a Council District 27 candidate and community board chair who volunteers at the pantry.
“It is important that our food pantries distribute healthy food, and the Hollis Avenue Congregational Church makes sure that their recipients get food for balanced meals,” Hill said.
The church and pantry are located at 211-04 Hollis Ave. in Queens Village. People ages 60 and older can attend the food pantry distribution every Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. All other residents can attend from 9 to 11 am. Contact 718-468-1498 to find out more information.
