With Food Pantry Visits Up, Mobile Market Brings Fresh Food To BK

SUNSET PARK, NY — A mobile food distribution akin to a farmers' market hit Sunset Park this week ahead of the holidays, bringing the neighborhood fresh produce for free.

The City Harvest mobile market sat outside the Cohen Community Food Rescue Center on 52nd Street — where the organization has passed out fresh fruits and vegetables since September, according to the New York City-based food rescue and distribution organization.

"Unlike other mobile market locations, many of which take place next to NYCHA developments, the Sunset Park location is relatively remote," said a representative of City Harvest.

"Yet, the market still draws hundreds of residents from the Sunset Park community, underscoring the increasing demand for food access in this neighborhood."

And Wednesday, "The Morning Show" actress Karen Pittman joined City Harvest for an event that drew around 700 locals.

"Today, we served over 700 families who needed healthy food to put on their table for the holiday," said Pittman in an Instagram post.

"Like City Harvest NYC... I believe that no New Yorker should go hungry."

Since September, Sunset Park has become one of City Harvest's most well-attended Mobile Market — a reflection of the community need, organizers said.

In 2021, the median income of a Sunset Park home was 13 percent lower than the citywide median, and the poverty rate was higher, according to data from NYU's Furman Center.

And earlier in December, state Assembly Member Iwen Chu announced $50,000 in funding to the Sunset Park Family Support Center through a grant to bring food to New York families, BK Reader reported.

"This grant will help bridge the food insecurity gap within our neighborhood, ultimately making the residents healthier,” said Larry McReynolds, executive director of Family Health Centers at NYU Langone.

Beyond Sunset Park, food insecurity plagues neighborhoods across New York City — with monthly visits to city food pantries and soup kitchens up over 60 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to City Harvest.