Feeding and empowering those we serve to move beyond the lines of poverty.
CLIENT CHOICE PANTRY
Providing a weekly and emergency on-site Client Choice Food Pantry and Food Stamp qualification Center, in addition to clothing, personal care items, vitamins, referrals to various social service programs.
We are a partner agency with Food Bank for NYC and EFAP, Feed The Children..
Hours of distribution are Saturday 8:30 ~ 11:00 AM
Emergency food is available Monday ~ Saturday by calling 718.441.1125.
Assistance with referrals to other social service agencies is available.
The River Fund Executive Director is asked to be a Panelist at:
Food Bank For New York City’s 18th Annual Agency Conference, The Economic Crisis: A Community Responds
January 2010
At this year's conference, Acharya Swami Durga Das was invited to participate as a panelist to share with the Food Bank's member agencies his experience of transitioning from a pre-packaged pantry bag distribtuion site to a client choice food pantry. Acharya Swami Durga Das' gift of vision and laser-like focus on the goal helped guide staff and volunteers in making the transition relatively painless. Modeled after the distribution site at St. John's Bread and Life, Brooklyn Acharya Swami Durga Das spoke on how our pantry now allows clients freedom to choose from various food groups what they like and need. Not only does this boost their dignity in hard times but helps them to discover the health benefits of nutritionally balanced food choices. The system is effective, can be implemeted by any group and ours is ready to expand...we just need MORE SPACE!!!!
The presentation was a success and the reception for his insights and candor were overwhelming.
At the end of the conference, The River Fund was awarded the Food Bank's Community Service Excellence Award for the burough of Queens. We are extremely grateful for this recognition for our program. We truly appreciate this recognition. Thank you Food Bank!
Here are some comments from the day:
Carlos M. Rodriguez, Vice President, Agency Relations & Programs had this to say about Acharya Swami Durga Das' participation: "The perspective that you brought to your workshop helped to make this one of our most successful conferences ever. We have received excellent feedback about the conference, thanks in large part to your help...All of us at the Food Bank are committed to providing quality services to our network of agencies. Your willingness to extend your expertise towards the benefit of the anti-hunger community is greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten."
Christina Riley, MS, RD, Community Nutritionist, Food Bank For New York City had this to say: "It's important to have a program who can speak about the challenges and even resistance experienced as well as the successes they achieved to help the other programs understand that they too could make this work for them."