Organizers of the 2018 Flushing Community Holiday Dinner were joined by City
Councilman Peter Koo (c.) and civic leaders at St. George’s Church in Flushing.
Photo by Carlotta Mohamed
Flushing church to host
dinner for families in need
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
The Historic St. George’s Church
in Flushing will be serving hot meals
to members of the community, including
immigrants, refugees, and
families in need during the 2018
Flushing Community Holiday Dinner,
announced Rev. Wilfredo Benitez, rector
of the church.
The holiday dinner will take place
on Saturday, Dec. 22 from 3 p.m. to 6
p.m. at St. George’s Church located at
135-32 38th Ave.
“Saint George’s Church, in anticipation
of the coming Christmas
holiday, is pleased to welcome those
in need, regardless of creed (or no
creed), ethnicity, nationality, language,
immigration status, sexual
orientation, sex, class status, or anything
else that can be used to divide
our Flushing community,” said Benitez.
“It is in the compassionate spirit
of the Christ that we serve all our
neighbors. All are welcomed to sit at
the table.”
Organizers of the 2018 Flushing
Community Holiday Dinner were
joined by elected officials Dec. 14 and
civic leaders to encourage local businesses
and individuals to support the
event with donations of canned or
dry foods, new or gently used clothing,
and funds. (c.)
“As we gather with friends and
family to enjoy the holiday season,
we look to fully embrace the spirit
of the season by providing a free
holiday dinner for all,” said City
Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing).
“This event is a great opportunity to
give back to the community and enjoy
one another’s company, and take
part in the true meaning of the holiday
season.”
La Jornada, Green Earth Urban
Gardens, and the Greater Flushing
Chamber of Commerce will join St.
George’s Church to serve hot meals.
There aren’t many food pantries in
Flushing for seniors and single families,
according to Maureen Regan,
founder of Green Earth Urban,
“Hunger and food security are basic
needs,” said Regan. “By organizing
our Holiday Dinner, we highlight
these needs because they should be a
birthright for all Americans.”
Roughly 1.2 million New Yorkers
— one in seven of the city’s population
— live in food insecure homes,
according to the advocacy group
Hunger Free America.
The national non-profit organization
is building a non-partisan,
grass-roots membership movement
to enact the policies and programs
needed to end domestic hunger and
ensure that all Americans have sufficient
access to nutritious food.
One in five children and 200,000
seniors in New York City do not have
enough food to eat.
Last year, 40 percent of the food
pantries and soup kitchens in New
York City indicated that they were
not distributing enough food to meet
demand — 35 percent indicated they
had to turn people away, reduce the
amount of food, or limit their hours
of operation, according to Hunger
Free America.
This year, the federal government
proposed to expand the “public
charge” rule, which would bar immigrants
who “unduly rely on public assistance”
from a path to citizenship
if they participate in vital programs
such as the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program — formerly
called the Food Stamp Program, according
to Hunger Free America.
The federal government has also
proposed slashing SNAP by $213 billion
over the next 10 years in addition
to structural changes that could
harm groceries and nonprofits that
serve hungry Americans.
La Jornada, a Flushing-based
food pantry, will prepare meals at
the Holiday Dinner to feed those in
the community who otherwise might
go hungry.
“For the past four years, La Jornada
has been serving immigrants
and those who are poor in Flushing,”
said Pedro Rodriguez, founder of La
Jornada. “Since then, we have seen
an incredible increase in the number
of people we are serving.”
Rodriguez noted that another
important factor about the holiday
dinner is to tell the truth about immigrant
communities.
“One group comes and begins to
succeed, and then gives a hand to
the newcomers. That is how this city
and country of immigrants have
acted: with mercy and grace to our
new brothers and sisters who came
after them,” said Rodriguez. “This
is the real story of Christmas in the
immigrant community. So we applaud
this group that takes time out
of their lives to help those in need in
our community.”
Taehoon Kim, president of the
Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce,
is encouraging local businesses
and individuals to celebrate
the spirit of the holidays to serve
food to their neighbors and breaking
bread with all members of the community
at St. George’s Church.
Those interested in donating food
or money for the event can contact
the Greater Flushing Chamber of
Commerce at: angelina@flushingchambernyc.
nyc or 646-820-5163.
Reach reporter Carlotta Mohamed
by e-mail at cmohamed@cnglocal.com
or by phone at (718) 260–4526.
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TIMESLEDGER,18 DEC. 21-27, 2018 TIMESLEDGER.COM
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