Many Bronx residents live in “food deserts” and often have trouble accessing quality health food. The pandemic has only made this problem worse.
People have waited online for hours at food pantries and there has been a 113% increase this year in SNAP (food stamp) sales at GrowNYC Greenmarkets and other retail sites.
In an effort to make things easier, GrowNYC launched a new initiative at their Fresh Food Box sites making all food boxes half off for customers shopping with SNAP, including the one at Montefiore’s Bronx Health Collective at 871 Prospect Ave. This site is open Fridays year round from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and food must be purchased a week in advance.
Normally the box is $14, but due to a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, it was able to reduce the cost to $7 beginning in March.
“A big part of our mission is making sure the box is affordable to all New Yorkers,” said Cheryl Huber, assistant director of food access and agriculture of GrowNYC.
With so many people hurting financially and or out of work, every penny matters, she said.
Hopefully, this will keep stomachs full at a fair price.
“It’s definitely making a difference for families,” she said.
