Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Hosted Pop-Up Food Distribution in Corona, Queens for Community Severely Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens hosted a Pop-Up Food Distribution at the Catholic Charities Therese Cervini Early Childhood Development Center located at 35-33 104th Street, Corona, NY 11368 on Wednesday, April 8th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for families and individuals hardest hit by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grab-and-go style event provided families and individuals with bags of food that will feed a family of three for three days. Catholic Charities prepared 750 bags which included an array fresh fruits and vegetables, beverages and nonperishable goods. Some additional items consisted of apples, oranges, lemons, raisins, bread, Gatorade, apple juice, instant coffee, rice, cans of fruit, tuna fish, peanut butter, microwaveable macaroni and cheese, cereals, packets of mayonnaise and jelly, applesauce and black beans. Catholic Charities also provided access to additional assistance, information, and resources. 60 percent of the COVID-19 cases in New York City are located in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens is responding to the hardworking families in this primarily immigrant neighborhood by providing pop-up food pantries, access to supportive services via our Call Center and Behavioral Health Services via tele-health.
In the past week, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has seen a 50 percent increase in the need for hot meals to be delivered to isolated seniors. On average, the agency distributes 5,000 meals, but as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, Catholic Charities is delivering 8,000 meals weekly. Food pantry distributions have also increased. On average, the agency distributes 83,000 meals per month within our food pantry network. Last week Catholic Charities saw a 20 percent increase across our 20 parish-based food pantries.
The Pop-Up Food Distribution is organized and funded by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens as a direct response to our neighbors in need in both boroughs.
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About Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens: For 120 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has been providing quality social services to the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens, and currently offers 160-plus programs and services for children, youth, adults, older adults, and those struggling with mental illness. As one of the largest faith-based developers of affordable housing in the country, Catholic Charities provides 4,330 units of housing for low-income seniors, families, veterans, the formerly homeless, those with HIV and those struggling with mental illness. For additional information, visit our website at www.ccbq.org.