Community Food Pantry @ Highbridge
 
invites all community members to our thanksgiving distribution.

When: Saturday November 21st, 2009
Where: 1272 Ogden Avenue
Time:10:00am to 4:00pm
For more information contact:
MWIRD @ 718-960-2262
Events Sponsors: MWIRD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

                                                                                                                                NURAH AMAT’ULLAH

                                                                                                                                (718) 877-1322/info@mwird.org

PRESS ALERT

THE COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY @ HIGHBRIDGE HAS MOVED

To forcibly move an emergency food and hunger resource at a time of crisis for the not-for-profit sector of New York City, was a trial for the Community Food Pantry @ Highbridge and an even greater curiosity for those it serves after the pantry experienced a constructive eviction by one of its founding partners and host.  On March 7^th the Community Food Pantry @ Highbridge moved to the Annex of the Highbridge Community Church, a congregation of the Reformed Church of America located at 1272 Ogden Avenue in the Bronx.

The staff and volunteer’s health and security were placed in danger aside from the agency being tremendously strained by the legal proceedings that were filed against the Pantry.  At this time, the legal actions are withdrawn and a settlement of $8,000 agreed upon to compensate for costs incurred by the Pantry in this perceived regrettable matter. Harlowtown, a Brooklyn based community legal services entity provided legal services to the Community Food Pantry @ Highbridge about which the Pantry is eternally grateful.

The new space the Community Food Pantry @ Highbridge has moved into is twenty-five percent of the space it occupied before, 100 square feet compared to approximately 400 square feet. “It’s a very tight squeeze with barely enough room to pack food for the growing number of families we serve,” said Nurah Amat’ullah, Executive Director of the Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development that manages the pantry. With the number of households served having increased from 1694 in November 2008 to 2231, emergency food deliveries are larger and the required space to store and prepare food packages is essential to the Pantry’s operation. In addition to feeding families, there are over 230 children registered for the pantry’s Open Market Backpack Program that provides nutrition education about healthy food choices to school-aged children. The hours of service for the Backpack-Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity program and the Family Food Security services remain unchanged at this time; however, some schedule adjustments are expected soon. “I’m not sure how we’ll fit everything in and maintain the level of efficiency we were capable of before, but our determination to do so has not changed,” added Ms. Amat’ullah.

The Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of the Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development are grateful to Pastor Cora Taitt, the Elders, the Deacons and Congregation of the Highbridge Community Church for taking-in the Pantry. This act of neighborliness prevented the loss of food security services to over 4,000 community members in this time of great economic hardship in the nation that is touching many families in the Highbridge area.

“We want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone that contributed in any way to the move of the Community Food Pantry @ Highbridge,” said Amat’ullah, “and let the community know that we are still here for them.”  

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