Food pantry feeds a community need

In May, needing help to supplement her earnings as a part-time school bus matron for a Nassau County transportation company, Joan R. of Rosedale, Queens, walked into the Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry on Central Avenue in Woodmere, which is sponsored by the JCC of the Greater Five Towns.

“I’m struggling to pay bills. It’s hard and money is tight,” Joan said. “At first I didn’t want to go, because I was embarrassed to go.”

She did go, and found pantry coordinator Renee Harris ready to help her. “She said, ‘Come on in, it’s OK,’ and she was real sweet and nice,” Joan said.
Harris showed Joan what the food pantry had to offer. The following month, it was a little easier for her to visit the pantry and pick up the food she needed, Joan said.

Typically she gets pasta, soup, cereal, challah and bagels. “It’s great,” she said. “It helps out a lot so I can get other things I need, such as medications and meats.” She buys medicine not only for herself, but for her dog, which has been ill for the past few months, Joan said.

Established in 2005, the food pantry began by helping 35 families, and it now works with nearly 300 families from the Five Towns and neighboring communities in Nassau and Queens. After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, it served an additional 100 families, according to Stacey Feldman, the JCC’s director of development. Now, two years after the storm, 30 families from Lawrence, Far Rockaway and other communities are still in need.

Rina Shkolnik retired as the JCC’s executive director in 2012, and the pantry was named for her that year.

“We want people to know we exist,” Feldman said. “We are the largest kosher food pantry on Long Island.”

The pantry is a joint initiative of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Five Towns and UJA-Federation of New York, and is supported by the Five Towns Community Chest and the Inwood Charities Fund, run by the Inwood Country Club. Long Island Cares, Long Island Harvest and Trader Joe’s in Hewlett deliver food, assisted by private donations. There are also several community-based food drives.

The pantry provides a social worker who discusses with clients which social services they may be eligible for, such as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides benefits and education to lower-income individuals and families.

Mary S., a retired baker from Howard Beach, also used the pantry. For the past four months she has volunteered at the storefront on Central Avenue, putting food packages together and restocking the shelves. “I wanted to do something where I could give back and something to keep my mind active,” she said. “I feel if you get something for nothing, you should try to give back.”

In addition to the food, the JCC, in conjunction with the Inwood Country Club, has collected children’s and adult’s coats and other children’s clothing for distribution this Sunday at the JCC in Cedarhurst. Preregistration is required. Call (516) 569-6733 to register.

“We choose to support this drive because the JCC helps families on a non-denominational basis, and this was very important to our membership,” said Andy Shevins, president of the Inwood Charities Fund. “This drive was a big success, and we hope to participate in this drive again next year.”

With Thanksgiving and Hanukkah coming, donations to the food pantry are greatly appreciated. To donate, call Harris at (516) 295-5678.
For those in need of help, Joan R., who overcame her self-consciousness, said, “Don’t be embarrassed. They’re here to help you.”