FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2020
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Adriana Rodriguez
718-517-3143
arodriguez@desalesmedia.org
John Quaglione
718-517-3112
jquaglione@desalesmedia.org
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens Distributes 17,600 meals at Pop-Up Food Pantry
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens today distributed 17,600 meals and served 1,725 individuals at an Emergency Pop-Up Food Pantry at St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church in the Elmhurst section of Queens, a neighborhood severely impacted by the Coronavirus.
At today’s event, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens:
- Distributed a total of 17,600 meals in 4,800 bags of food;
- Served over 1,600 individuals who each received 3 bags of food consisting of 11 meals total; Bags contained dry staple goods, produce, apples, tortillas, and juices.
- Distributed $25 and $50 supermarket gift cards to another 125 individuals.
- Offered access to supportive services via the CCBQ call center and behavioral health services via telehealth.
Since March 24 Catholic Charities has:
- Provided over 71,400 meals at emergency Pop-Up Food Distributions in Brooklyn and Queens.
- Provided over 100,000 meals at our food pantries.
- Witnessed a massive 200 percent increase in demand for food at our existing food pantries.
The Emergency Pop-Up Food Distribution is organized and funded by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens as a direct response to our neighbors in need in both boroughs. To help support these events, donate to Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens at www.ccbq.org.
According to the New York City Department of Health, as of May 12, Queens has seen 57,178 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 4,571 reported deaths, the second largest number of cases in New York City. Brooklyn and Queens account for nearly 60 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the New York metropolitan area. Elmhurst is one of the most ethnically diverse zip codes in the United States.
Photos attached (Courtesy of Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens)
Photos #1 and #2 – Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens staff and volunteers serving those in need at the Emergency Pop-Up Event at St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church in Elmhurst.
Photo #3 is of Monsignor Alfred LoPinto, CEO of Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, and Vicar for Human Services for the Diocese of Brooklyn, offering prayer and encouragement to staff and volunteers, prior to the distribution event’s start today at St. Bartholomew’s.
Photo #4- The Diocese of Brooklyn Emergency Task Force who donated masks at today’s event, and has distributed 20,000 masks at Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens Pop-Up events over the past six weeks.
