A Bronx woman is giving back to her neighbors in Soundview.

Bharati Kemraj has always given back to her fellow New Yorkers, but the coronavirus pandemic moved her efforts further.

“It was our awakening in a sense of ‘Oh My God, what do we do now,’” Kemraj says. “But we already had programs in place.”

She started the Bharati Foundation in 2014 through the Vishnu Mandir Hindi Temple in the Bronx, which was founded by her late father.

Kemraj uses the organization to connect the community.

The foundation hosted nearly 100 events, turning sidewalks into food distribution centers with donations from partners in the community.

“That is what community is about and that is putting your hands together to help others,” Kemraj says.

Kemraj also has a full-time job at a consulting firm, leads the Bharati Dance Academy and Run the Books with Bharati Program, which keeps the community active and well-read.