Bed-Stuy Food Pantry Gets $125K Through New Grant

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Bed-Stuy's Campaign Against Hunger got a $125,000 boost this week thanks to a new grant from the Brooklyn Communities Collaborative, the organization announced.

The neighborhood food pantry was among seven nonprofits that received part of BCC's Strong Communities Fund, which is aimed at helping Brooklyn and New York City as a whole recover from the coronavirus crisis.

The Campaign Against Hunger — which has played an integral role in addressing unprecedented food insecurity since the start of the pandemic — was given the largest slice of the $338,000 in funding. BCC has committed to giving out $3 million total to help with pandemic relief.

“We know that the only way forward is together, and assisting community-based organizations to get the resources they need will help us to recover," BCC Board Member Marilyn Fraser, the CEO of Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, said in a release. "These organizations are joining a long list of doers and fighters that are making an impact in their neighborhoods and their communities."

The Campaign Against Hunger set up an emergency warehouse in March to help with a seven-fold increase in those needing their services. They have extended the lease for the warehouse twice since then, most recently in November.

Bed-Stuy is one of the top seven community districts in New York City with high levels of food insecurity, which has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis, according to the Food Bank For New York City Report

Here's the full list of Brooklyn organizations that received some of the BCC funding:

• The Campaign Against Hunger has been awarded $125,000 to meet the food needs of its constituents. Funding will be used for social services assistance, transportation, and food.
• Little Essentials has been awarded $50,000 to support the organization’s goal to provide families with early childhood care supplies like diapers and strollers. The funding will support the organization’s expansion in Brooklyn.
• New Heights Youth Inc. has been awarded $50,000 to provide athletic and academic support to Brooklyn’s at-risk youth. The funding will be used to implement virtual and in-person learning components for its participants, minimizing the academic, athletic and social deficits caused by the pandemic.
• Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls has been awarded $45,000 to support its arts education curriculum for girls and trans youth in the digital environment. The funding will be used to provide additional digital equipment and resources, retain personnel and cover operating expenses.
• The Red Hook Initiative has been awarded $30,000 to provide funding for the residents of Red Hook.
• Anne Kastor Brooklyn Free Clinic has been awarded nearly $20,000 to support its free clinic, providing funding for personnel and operating costs.
• GrowHouse International has been awarded $20,000 to teach out of school Brooklyn youth how to create racial and health equity interventions. Funding will cover technology supplies for the Youth Leadership program.