Bushwick food pantry fights growing need, seeks long-term solutions

BUSHWICK, Brooklyn (PIX11) -- Nuris Castillo, a resident of Bushwick, relies heavily on the RiseBoro Wellness Rising program. The program's food pantry, especially, serves as a lifeline for her and many others in the community.

"I use it for me, my family, and my neighbor who's unable to come out," Castillo said.

Unfortunately, the need for such assistance has grown significantly. While RiseBoro recently received a $2 million grant to combat the surge in families seeking food assistance, the program's future funding remains uncertain, raising concerns about its long-term ability to meet the growing demand.

Jasmine Bethancourt, supervisor of food and nutrition programming at RiseBoro, explained that they've witnessed a dramatic rise in participants since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We see a shift in the times we have a higher volume," Bethancourt said, adding that many people run out of their EBT SNAP benefits toward the end of the month. The recent termination of temporary COVID-19 SNAP benefit increases has further exacerbated the issue.

"Folks talk to us about how the economy is affecting them and the rising prices," Bethancourt said. "It's a drastic change for them."

The temporary emergency SNAP allotments in New York City ended in March 2023, resulting in many recipients experiencing a significant decrease in their monthly benefits.

One of the biggest challenges RiseBoro faces is running out of food.

"I try to mitigate it by saying how many shares we'll have this week and how many people we can serve," Bethancourt explained. "But there's always that one person who comes in, and we have to say, 'I'm sorry, we're out of food.'"

This struggle underscores the increasing demand RiseBoro faces week after week.

While the $2 million grant offers temporary relief, there's concern about the long-term sustainability of the demand for the organization and the community it serves, including residents like Castillo, who are looking for long-term solutions to ensure continued support.

If you'd like to help the RiseBoro Wellness Rising program, visit its website.