Rep. Grace Meng, D-Queens, recently joined the Met Council on Jewish Poverty staff, volunteers, and CEO David G. Greenfield at Met Council’s Affordable Housing Towers VI in Flushing to prepare essential food and hygiene kits that will be distributed to New Yorkers in need and launch a first-of-its kind diaper bank in Queens.
Meng took the opportunity to present Met Council with an oversized check for $3 million in federal funding that she secured for the group to create a first of its kind program to provide diapers for needy residents of Queens. Some of the funding will also be used to increase access to food for seniors and Holocaust survivors, and providing menstrual hygiene products to women. While there, she also visited with residents, presenting them with packages of essential food supplies.
The sizeable allocation underscores the congresswoman’s enduring commitment and fierce advocacy on behalf of her constituents in New York’s 6th Congressional District and her belief in the importance of Met Council’s work and making critical food, menstrual products, and items for babies universally available.
Met Council’s Affordable Housing Towers VI is a beautiful low-income housing building owned and operated by Met Council in Rep. Meng’s 6th Congressional District of New York.
“The $3 million in federal funding that I secured in Congress for Met Council will be crucial to so many vulnerable individuals in our communities,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng. “Whether it’s food, menstrual products, or baby items, access to these essentials should never depend on one’s income level or status in life. Everybody in Queens deserves equal access to them, and this money will help ensure that that they are made available to local residents in need of them. Thank you to Met Council for partnering with me on this effort and working tirelessly to combat poverty.”
Met Council CEO David Greenfield said: “What sets Congresswoman Meng apart is that she genuinely cares for the needs of everyone, and that she goes above and beyond for her constituents. She’s one of our greatest partners, because she truly understands our mission – to help those less fortunate in our communities, and how we can partner with her to help distribute other needed supplies, like these packages of items for infants and menstrual products to those less fortunate. She steadfastly represents and advocates for our communities and those most vulnerable within them in Washington, and fights hard to make sure those in need have access to nutritious food, hygiene products, and the services they need. We are grateful for her advocacy and look forward to our continued partnership.”
“We’re extremely grateful to Congresswoman Meng for her fierce advocacy in support of New Yorkers in need,” added Met Council’s Managing Director of Food Programs Jessica Chait. “In the last five years alone, we’ve distributed more than ten million pounds of crucial food products through more than 35 local pantry partners to those suffering from food insecurity in New York’s 6th Congressional district.”
Met Council’s local partners, who assisted in packing and distributing the products include the Allied Foundation, Chazaq, Commonpoint Queens, Public Health Solutions, The Hope Line, India Home, La Jornada, Queens College Hillel, and the Queens JCC.
