Local advocate Richard Feldman aims to create food resource guide for poor

As part of the city’s annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate, it was determined during a January night spent canvassing the streets of the city that the Bronx is home to 222 unsheltered homeless individuals.

HOPE is required by the country’s Department of Housing and Urban Development and this year it was held on the night of Jan. 23.

Richard Feldman, a volunteer with Art for AID who lives in Riverdale, has been trying to create a comprehensive resource guide for those in the area looking for different food resources.

Feldman is active in the community and has most recently been petitioning for the state to raise the SNAP minimum to $100.

“We know policy is the way to get things done around here,” he said.

The fight to raise the minimum on SNAP benefits is not Feldman’s alone, many people have brought this to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s attention in an attempt for it to be included in the state’s finalized fiscal year 2025 budget. The current minimum for eligible one and two-person households is $23.

With the number of homeless individuals fluctuating at all times, it’s important to understand what resources are available in the community, according to HOPE’s website. SNAP benefits and other food resources are important for all, not just those experiencing homelessness.

The migrants that Riverdale has welcomed into their home could also see the benefit of learning what food resources are available to them as they navigate a new life, HOPE explained.

The current list of resources Feldman has collected includes:

• Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, 3101 Kingsbridge Terrace, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Love Kitchen - 204th Street and 10th Avenue, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Part of the Solution Food Pantry, 2759 Webster Ave., 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Monday through Saturday
• Part of the Solution Dining Room, 2759 Webster Ave., 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday
• Marble Hill Food Pantry, 146 West 228th St., 3 p.m., Monday Feb. 19

To contribute the location of any food pantries, soup kitchens, community fridges, and more food resources email information to igonzalez@riverdalepress.com