Senator Jessica Ramos is continuing her free fresh food and hot meals distribution in partnership with New York state farms and local street food vendors to help feed her most vulnerable constituents.
On Friday, May 8, Ramos will distribute more bags with locally sourced fruits and vegetables at her district office, located at 32-37 Junction Boulevard in East Elmhurst. The new distribution time is 4 p.m. and will last until food runs out, with people ages 65 and up given priority.
To provide residents with much needed bags of produce, Ramos has partnered with Northeast Dairy Producers Association, as well as Upstate Farms, Dairy Farmers of America, Crist Brothers Orchard, Torrey Farms, New York State Vegetable Growers Association and New York Farm Bureaus.
Ramos’ office will be partnering with Food Bank for New York City and ELMCOR for this and future food pantries.
Last week, Ramos served over 34,000 pounds of fresh food to more than 700 families in District 13 neighborhoods, which includes Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona and parts of Woodside and Astoria.
Ramos will also bring back the hot meals grab-and-go initiative in partnership with Street Food Vendor Project, which are cooked by local street vendors. That distribution will take place on Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m. in her district office.
Last week, they served hot meals packed in totes to about 150 families.
“As we work together to overcome hunger in our community, made dramatically worse by the coronavirus pandemic, we cannot forget our local street vendors who have been hit incredibly hard by the COVID-19 shutdown,” Ramos said. “Not only are they struggling to make ends meet and provide for their families, they can play a critical role in helping those struggling with hunger and food scarcity. Our partnership with Street Vendor Project empowers these hardworking meal providers to serve those in need with hot meals made locally from some of the best pre-pandemic food spots in our community.”
Ramos represents some of the hardest hit neighborhoods in Queens. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted residents in more ways than one. Many have lost jobs and have seen loss of income. There are also fewer local food pantries open or fully stocked, which has caused an uptick in food insecurity.
For more information, call Senator Ramos’ office at 718-205-3881 or email senatorjessicaramosstaff@gmail.com.
