By Bill Parry
The Hunters Point Civic Association annual holiday food drive delivered a record 5,200 pounds of food and supplies to three food pantries in western Queens last Saturday. During the month of November food, shampoo, diapers and baby supplies were donated at several locations around the community and divided between the Hour Child Food Pantry in Long Island City, St. Rafael’s Food Pantry in Sunnyside and St. Teresa’s Food Pantry in Woodside.
“I am especially proud of the food drive this year because so many parts of the community came together and helped,” Hunters Point Civic Association President Brent O’Leary said. “From the Woodside/Sunnyside Runners packing our truck in the middle of their Saturday morning run to the Gantries Parents Association and Long Island City Girl Scouts for sorting and packaging, to the donations of the Sunnyside Lions, Hunters Point Park Conservancy, the Emerald Guild, Metropolitan Building Managers and Hornblower Ferry Service. It shows the caring of this community and produced a record collection, up more than 1,500 pounds from last year, for the less fortunate in our neighborhood.”
O’Leary started the food drive in 2014 when he read about the food crisis in area pantries. That first year the drive delivered 3,000 pounds of food and supplies.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
