Rebuilding The Bronx: Soundview food pantry reopens to tackle hunger in The Bronx
A Soundview food pantry is making a comeback with the goal of getting healthy food to those who need it most.
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Food insecurity remains a major challenge in The Bronx. More than one in four people in the borough live in poverty, according to city data.
A Soundview food pantry is making a comeback with the goal of getting healthy food to those who need it most.
Hundreds of people line up at the Throggs Neck Community Alliance pantry every week, seeking help to put food on the table. Now, founder Angela Torres is hoping to bring that assistance back to Soundview by reopening a pantry outside the Claire Heureuse Community Center.
“They otherwise don’t have consistent pantries on this side,” Torres said. “It’s very difficult for people to get places.”
The Soundview pantry closed last year after donations declined. Through a new partnership with GrowNYC, the pantry is reopening and will begin distributing fresh and shelf-stable food starting Saturday.
Torres said the pantry fills a critical need in the community.
“Someone’s going to wait on line on a cold day like today, sometimes as early as 7 a.m.,” she said. “That means they really need it.”
Both the Throggs Neck and Soundview pantries are run entirely by volunteers. Torres manages the operations while working a full-time job. She says the work goes beyond providing food.
“We really try to run it like a family,” she said. “We get to know the people on the line and their needs. They tell us about their children and what they’re going through.”
As the reopening approaches, Torres hopes more community members will volunteer to help support the effort.
