A soup kitchen run by Greenpoint Reformed Church at 136 Milton Street is becoming more and more popular. Each Wednesday you can get here a bag of groceries and a warm meal.
Groceries are given out at 4:00 and dinner is served at 6:00; however, people line up in front of the historical church at Milton Street a good half an hour before the kitchen doors open. There are many people in need in Greenpoint, among them not only seniors and the homeless, but also whole families with children who have difficulties making ends meet and a free dinner once a week greatly relieves their tight budget. Anyone is welcome – regardless of his or her immigration and economic status.
Currently the kitchen is visited by 120 patrons who come for the food bags and about 60 to 80 who come for their weekly dinner – that is at least five times more clients as when the kitchen opened in October of last year.
“Among the patrons there are a lot of Poles too. Maybe half,” estimates Helena Przybylska, 71, who volunteers to help distribute the food bags. “More or less the same people show up each week, though every time you can spot a couple of new faces,” she added.
The bags usually contain cereal, beans, rice, pasta, canned meat, vegetables and fruit. Sometimes peanut butter and milk are also included.
“It’s hard to manage on a $165 pension and $110 in food stamps,” says Joseph Wrzosek, 82, who also dines at the Seniors’ Center on Leonard Street, where dinner costs $1.
A warm meal at the Greenpoint Reformed Church attracts a group of homeless Poles as well. “A couple of weeks ago I lost my job and shortly afterwards I had to move out of my apartment,” says Marek Kowalski, 46. “I had no savings to fall back on. Everything I earned I sent back home to Poland for my kid. So I found myself in the street.” It was his second time at the church kitchen at Milton Street. He says he finds it hard to beg in the street. “I prefer to go hungry rather than ask strangers for food. Here at the church you do not have to ask. You just get food.”
Pastor Ann Kansfield, 32, says church members want to be there for those who need a helping hand. “Nobody in Greenpoint should go hungry,” says Kansfield, whose dream is to have the kitchen open 7 days a week. In the meantime she is working on being able to offer sandwiches during lunch.
The food for the Wednesday feast is bought with private donations. Recently Kansfield managed to arrange supplies from Food Bank of New York City, but she also appeals to Polish stores and restaurants owners for donations. “Food never goes waste here. Since more and more Poles come to dine with us, we would like to be able to offer them some Polish dishes. I know they like pierogi and kielbasa.”
“It’s the first time I get something for free in this country,” says Irena Zdrodowska, 61, who earns some money cleaning houses and relies on her son’s support. “Now not only is it harder to get clients but everything has got so more expensive. A couple of years ago, $20 would fill up your fridge. Today you can barely buy anything. The support I get here means a lot to me.”
Food bank in trouble
According to statistics, owing to the rising price of bread, milk and eggs, companies that previously supplied the Food Bank of New York on a regular basis recently considerably diminished the quantities they donate. Consequently, the Food Bank of NY has 8.5 million pounds of food less to give away. At the same time, in the last year, the number of New Yorkers who reach out for free meals has risen by 24 percent.
