Bronx Food Pantry Seeks Upgrades to Serve More Families

The Open Hand Association food pantry in Pelham Parkway is facing a critical challenge – its aging cooling equipment is struggling to keep up with the growing demand for its services. With over 2,000 families relying on the pantry each week, the organization is seeking 0,000 in community support to upgrade its air conditioning and refrigeration systems, ensuring it can continue providing essential food assistance to those in need.

Empowering the Bronx Community, One Meal at a Time

Overcoming Refrigeration Woes

The Open Hand Association food pantry, located at 821 Lydig Ave. in Pelham Parkway, has been a vital lifeline for the local community, providing food assistance to thousands of families each week. However, the pantry's aging cooling equipment has become a significant obstacle, making it increasingly difficult to properly store and distribute the perishable items they receive.With only one commercial refrigerator and two small freezers, the pantry's volunteers are constantly scrambling to quickly distribute milk, cheese, and meat as soon as they arrive, rather than being able to properly organize and ration the supply. This not only creates logistical challenges but also means that families may not be able to access the full range of nutritious options the pantry aims to provide."It's very stressful," said founder Alex Nilaj, describing the daily struggle to ensure the pantry's operations run smoothly. "When perishable items arrive, we have nowhere to store them, and we have to give them away as quickly as possible. This makes it impossible to organize and sort items, and we have to work longer, later hours to get the food distributed."

Expanding Capacity to Meet Growing Demand

The Open Hand Association's challenges are further compounded by the Bronx's ongoing battle with food insecurity. According to a recent report by the state Department of Health, a staggering 40% of Bronx adults experience food insecurity – a rate much higher than the overall citywide estimate of 14%.To meet this growing demand, the pantry has expanded its operations, moving into a larger 5,000-square-foot facility last year. However, the aging cooling equipment has struggled to keep up, and the pantry is now seeking to upgrade its air conditioning and purchase additional commercial refrigerators and freezers."With demand showing no signs of slowing down, we're looking to upgrade the air conditioning in our facility and to buy six or seven more commercial refrigerators and three or four more freezers," Nilaj explained. "The appliances don't have to be new as long as they're in working order."

Community Support Crucial for Continued Success

The Open Hand Association's struggle to maintain its cooling equipment is not the first time the pantry has faced financial challenges. In January, the organization was in danger of running out of food altogether, until Rep. Ritchie Torres stepped in with a ,000 donation to keep it afloat.Now, the pantry is turning to the community for help, launching a GoFundMe campaign with the goal of raising 0,000 to fund the necessary upgrades. With the support of local residents and organizations, the Open Hand Association hopes to continue serving the Bronx community and providing access to nutritious, high-quality food for years to come."At this point, the supply of high-quality food at the Open Hand Association pantry is strong – and proper refrigeration will only help our organization serve more Bronx families," Nilaj said. "We're calling on the community to help us make these critical upgrades and ensure we can continue our mission of empowering the Bronx, one meal at a time."