Since 2008, Maria López has lived in the NYCHA Holmes Towers housing development on the Upper East Side with her daughter, who is autistic, and says she is grateful to those who finally allowed two community refrigerators to be installed this Thursday in her building, as the cost of food has risen.
Maria Lopez, resident of Holmes Towers, indicates:
“He knows that things today are very expensive, everything has increased in price and life is easier, they make us a little easier, we feel more relieved”
López used to drive taxis and babysit, but since the pandemic she has been unemployed and that is why without hesitation she took a bag and lined up to receive fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and preserves that the volunteers unloaded.
“That’s a chicken, okay? Thanks, that’s cheese and meat too, “says López.
In these colorful and decorated refrigerators, residents and neighbors can take what they want and leave extra food they don’t need.
According to Sandra Pérez, president of the NYCHA Holmes Tenants Association, there are 1,456 families in the complex who will benefit from the food and invites them to come, as they will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“I am proud and happy to be able to feed many who need it. They just have to come, open the refrigerators and get what they want ”.
For his part, Daniel Zauderer, director and executive founder of the non-profit organization Grassroots Grocery, and who started the initiative here, says he hopes this will serve as a way to mobilize our community, since according to him, 1 in 3 people in public housing in New York there is food insecurity.
“Every human being deserves access to food with dignity, here we have the opportunity to put something that can combat food insecurity with a refrigerator,” says Daniel Zauderer, Director and Founder of Grassroots Grocery.
The first community refrigerator in New York originated outside a Brooklyn apartment during the pandemic, and today there are around 100 across the city.
