Senator Jessica Ramos Provides Nearly 2,000 Hot Meals to Queens Families in Three Weeks, Partners With Hispanic Federation to Increase Food Distribution
May 16, 2020
East Elmhurst, NY — State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-Queens) today provided 600 hot meals in partnership with Street Vendor Project (SVP) to residents in Queens. This is the third straight weekend of Senator Ramos hosting successful food giveaway events at her Senate district office, now providing nearly 2,000 hot meals for families and individuals struggling with hunger and food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Additional donations from local businesses & organizations including Beky’s Bakery, Smoothies, and Centro Comunitario Andino, allowed Senator Ramos to supplement hot meals with fresh bread, dairy and fruits. Photos from today’s event are available by clicking here.
With most street vendors unable to earn an income and ineligible for unemployment benefits, these small business owners have been critically hurt and unable to provide for their own families. The hot meal giveaway is now further bolstered through a grant awarded by Hispanic Federation, which will increase the amount of food Senator Ramos can provide to her Queens district while continuing to help street vendors receive economic assistance and provide for themselves. Today’s hot meal giveaway follows yesterday’s fresh produce and dairy giveaway, in which Senator Ramos distributed over 40,000 pounds of food thanks to the continuing partnership with NYS farmers.
“Week after week, we have seen hundreds of families show up to our office on Fridays and Saturdays for our meal giveaways. It is evident that our State and Federal governments are not doing enough to ensure that our working class families, immigrants and undocumented neighbors are able to sustain themselves,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos. “We’re thankful the Hispanic Federation is able to support our team in our efforts to ensure our communities are being taken care of.”
“Hispanic Federation is proud to support Senator Ramos in this crucial initiative. Our Emergency Assistance Fund was created for this exact purpose in mind – to provide critical resources to vulnerable populations,” said Hispanic Federation President Frankie Miranda. “Although disproportionately affected by COVID-19, immigrant communities of color remain excluded from federal relief packages, socially and economically stymieing an essential part of our society. As we advocate for equitable resources for our community, we must come together and do what we can to uplift those in most need. We thank Senator Ramos for her leadership.”
In the past three weeks, Senator Ramos has distributed over 100,000 pounds of fresh produce, meat and dairy to over 2,000 New Yorkers. Unlike other food giveaways, Senator Ramos’ work has ensured economic relief for all people involved, from farm to fork.
Nourish New York, which joined the food program last week, will continue granting economic relief to the farmers who are providing the food for the state senator’s food giveaway. Ongoing donors include farms from across New York that already have contributed over 100,000 pounds of fresh produce and milk; Food Bank of New York City and local food pantry Elmcor which used the State’s new $25 million Nourish New York program that allows food pantries to pay the farms; and the Street Vendor Project.
About Hispanic Federation: Hispanic Federation (HF) is the nation’s premier Latino nonprofit membership organization. Founded in 1990, HF seeks to empower and advance the Hispanic community, support Hispanic families, and strengthen Latino institutions through work in the areas of education, health, immigration, civic engagement, economic empowerment, & the environment.
About Street Vendor Project: The Street Vendor Project is a membership-based trade group with more than 2,000 active vendor members. It’s a part of the Urban Justice CEnter, an anti-poverty, non-profit legal services and advocacy organization based in New York City. In March, the Street Vendor Project launched the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for its more than 2,000 members. It has so far raised $128,558 and aims to provide $200 relief payments to as many of its members as possible.
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