Every Week Workers At The Harlem Food Bank

From our friends at the Harlem Community Farm Share

Sure, you dropped by the Food Bank For N.Y.C.’s West Harlem site each week this season to get your share box. But did you know that the space we (the Harlem Community Farm Share) use for pick-up, the supermarket-style Food Pantry, provides food for low-income New Yorkers totaling more than 22,700 meals a month? The Community Kitchen next door (i.e., we enter the double doors to left, while the Kitchen is through the double doors to the right) prepares and serves 8,000 meals each month for New Yorkers in need, the majority of whom are women, children, seniors, the working poor and people with disabilities. The Food Bank also offers financial counseling, tax-assistance and food stamp programs, facilitated health care enrollment, plus rent, mortgage and utility services. In all, it’s a pretty cool spot.

Big thanks to all the Food Bank folks below who helped us out throughout the season, plus (not pictured) German, Shanon, Francis, Lewis, Kathy and Larry. In addition to greeting us each week, they were also the ones in charge of receiving and unloading our shares every Friday morning, then staying an hour past their regular work day so that we could have later pick-up every Friday night. A little Q. & A.:

1. What’s your name? Elliott Bryan.
2. How many years have you worked at the Food Bank? Three and a half.
3. What is your job here? Basically, everything. My official title is Peace Keeper.
4. Favorite vegetable? Tomatoes.
5. Favorite thing about this neighborhood? The people.

1. What’s your name? Christine Kaye.
2. How many years have you worked at the Food Bank? Five years.
3. What is your job here? Program Coordinator. I help with everything except the Community Kitchen. I’ve been four years helping with the C.S.A..
4. Favorite vegetable? Potatoes.
5. Favorite thing about this neighborhood? Good atmosphere. With the C.S.A., I love getting to see all the little kids.

1. What’s your name? Akanni Damazio (a.k.a. “C”).
2. How many years have you worked at the Food Bank? Three and a half years.
3. What is your job here? First Cook.
4. Favorite vegetable? Bok choy. Because you can do so much with it. It’s like cabbage. It goes with everything. I like to stir-fry it with a little tofu.
5. Favorite thing about this neighborhood? The diversity. Everything’s going to come up.

1. What’s your name? Daryl Joel Foriest.
2. How many years have you worked at the Food Bank? Approximately about two months.
3. What is your job here? Director of Meal Services.
4. Favorite vegetable? Broccoli. Because of its nutritional value and it tastes great. And you can prepare it so many healthy ways that don’t taste healthy.
5. Favorite thing about this neighborhood? The interesting clients I come across on a daily basis. Listening to their stories about their lives, their accomplishments and their travels. They have a great sense of humor. They show me that if you’re able to get up in the morning, you’ve got your whole life in front of you.

1. What’s your name? Michael (Mike) Walker.
2. How many years have you worked at the Food Bank? Two years.
3. What is your job here? I’m the Food Pantry Coordinator, so I run the Pantry. I also do family meals and accept deliveries.
4. Favorite vegetable? Broccoli rabe, which I tried through the C.S.A.. Also, corn!
5. Favorite thing about this neighborhood? This operation and all they do.

Food Bank, 252 W 116 Street, New York, NY and here are other locations in Harlem.