Food Bank For New York City Blog

Building Community at the Food Bank Bronx Borough Chat

Written by Maggie Prendergast | April 30, 2024

Food Bank For New York City provides food and other resources to a network of over 800 food pantries, campus pantries, soup kitchens, and healthcare partners across the five boroughs. To facilitate learning, dialogue, problem-solving, and creative brainstorming within our network, we regularly host “Borough Chats,” which bring together Food Bank Members of the same borough to talk about issues impacting their communities.    

Join us as we take you inside Food Bank’s recent Bronx Borough Chat, hosted by Victory SDA Church, a longtime Food Bank member in the East Bronx. Victory SDA Church has proudly served its community for over 30 years, providing ready-to-eat meals from its soup kitchen. We are honored to support the work Victory does to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security.  

Bronx Representatives at Victory SDA Church for Food Bank's borough chat.

Our April Bronx Borough Chat was attended by over 25 members who discussed community needs, shared proven solutions, and exchanged ideas and resources to foster ongoing collaboration. Trending topics included the Creation and Cultivation of Community Partnerships as well as Improving Client Interactions during Food Distributions. Attendees also enjoyed presentations from Food Bank, our partners at Bank of America’s Academy, and Reverend John Okon, the Executive Director of Food Bank member Word of Life Pantry. The chat ended with breakout sessions that were uplifting, warm, and productive, inspiring members to think of new and exciting ways to serve their communities.  

Attendees collaborated and shared ideas about how to better serve the Bronx. Pictured: Sheena Bell (Victory SDA Program Director), Claudia Mollo (Manager, Member Engagement), Claudette Hall (Victory SDA Executive Director), Andrew Gibbs (Director, Member Engagement), Jorge Pino (Bronx Member Engagement Coordinator).

Borough Chats exemplify Food Bank's commitment to fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and community-building. By providing a space for Food Bank members to discuss challenges, share successes, and learn from one another, Food Bank is strengthening the network of organizations working to fight food insecurity across New York City. Together, we are making progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for all.  

Attendees collaborated and shared ideas about how to better serve the Bronx. 

Spotlight on Victory SDA Church 

Victory SDA Church has been fighting food insecurity for over three decades. In 1991, Victory SDA established its permanent home at 1271 Burke Ave. in the Bronx. Victory’s soup kitchen distributes nearly 1,000 hot meals a month as well as 250 sandwiches a week for local shelters supporting newly arrived New Yorkers. There is no doubt that Victory SDA is helping our neighbors in the Bronx achieve food security for good.

Visit foodbanknyc.org to learn more about our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good.