Over 700 Bronx families received a week’s worth of free groceries at The Boys Club of New York, courtesy of Goodr and NBA Total Health on June 22.
Offerings included fruits, vegetables, seafood, meats, milk, eggs, bread, cereal and various juices. Many families brought their own carts, which were retrieved and organized by staff to ensure the quickest possible flow of families.
The event required free advanced registration, and Spanish-speaking staff were available to help attendees check in. Beyond groceries, the event also included health and wellness programming, skin cancer screenings from Evernorth Health Services, resources from No Kid Hungry to help families determine eligibility for summer meal programs, a pop-a-shot basketball experience, and free small portions of hot food and smoothies.
One attendee, Jalisa, said “I love this sense of community that they brought. I love the fun aspects that they have in regards to the opportunity to attend the draft, and the smoothie and like the little food taster that they did, that’s a really nice added touch, especially because it tags on to, like, getting back to the community.”
She added that she finds the event particularly useful because of rising grocery costs.
Annie Horn, Associate Vice President of Social Impact & Inclusion and Sustainability at the National Basketball Association, said “We are experts in basketball, we’re not experts in the local community.”
“We help bring eyeballs and awareness to the great works that Boys Club of New York are doing, the great work that Evernorth Health Services is doing, and Goodr, but we really rely on those partnerships in the local community for these kinds of events. We couldn’t do it without them.”
Horn mentioned the importance of reminding NBA draft prospects (Kingston Flemings and Mikel Brown Jr.) who attended the event the need to support their local communities.
“The first thing that they’re doing before they are drafted is being here in the community to understand that giving back is core to our DNA at the NBA.”
The event also included a giveaway for free tickets to the NBA draft – attendees only had to receive two of six stamps indicating that they visited multiple stations set up throughout the interior and exterior of The Boys’ Club of New York.
Lilah Dima, Evernorth Health Services NBA Health Coach, primarily helps people who work with the NBA on their wellness, but was excited for the event as a new opportunity to provide services to everyday people.
Dima, who led the check-ins for skin cancer screenings, advises Bronxites to “Get the free screenings when they’re offering, because it’s a proactive way to make sure that you’re as healthy as you can be.”
Desiree Barrett volunteered for the event to ensure the community has healthier food, and is now inspired to push for a similar event at her church.
“I enjoy seeing people that don’t have, get,” said Barrett, who assisted in helping families ‘shop’ for groceries.
One attendee, Jacqueline Gorham, who lives right next to the event, said “Thank you for the groceries, well appreciated,” and expressed gratitude for the spread of health services in the local community.
“Health is first. Without health, we have nothing else. Health is wealth,” Gorham said.
