This article originally appeared on Pix 11 and was authored by Magee Hickey.
NEW YORK — Time is running out for New York City’s food pantries, which feed hundreds of thousands of New York City every day.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, they are low on money and emergency food.
“We’re delivering Passover meals to shut-ins and elderly and people who need food,” Rebecca Stanton, a volunteer, told PIX11 News.
Project Hope delivers much needed-food and supplies to the elderly, to shut-ins, to those socially isolating and those newly unemployed during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Right now, I am one of those people not making any money and not getting any financial help,” Sylvia Hunter, a recipient of a food delivery, told PIX11 News.
Because of fears of community spread, the number of volunteers is dwindling, but those who do step up are handling food deliveries with masks and gloves and a firm resolve.
“As the virus increased, our pantry is getting double, triple and quadruple the food requests and we’re honored that we can help,” David Edelstein, of the Bronx Jewish Community Council, told PIX11 News.
According The Met Council and City Harvest, 32 percent of New York City food pantries have closed because they are being outbid by wholesalers.
Many more are on the brink of closing across the five boroughs unless the city, state and feds step in.
“We are asking the state to commit $25 million and the New York City Council to match that and the number of people who need emergency food will grow,” Jilly Stephens, CEO of City Harvest, told PIX11 News.
And as the need for soup kitchens, food pantries and mobile food trucks across the city grows, The Met Council, which fed at least 200,000 New Yorkers this month, is worried about funding running out.
“People are really desperate,” David Greenfield, CEO of Met Council, told PIX11 News. “Every single minute I’m getting calls and texts from people begging for food, people who’ve lost their jobs, the elderly, even Holocaust survivors in their 90s. It’s scary out there.”
If you would like to donate time or money, please go to Cityharvest.org to help.