Highbridge food pantry could be shut

FOR thousands of local residents, the Community Food Pantry at Highbridge has meant the difference between having a nutritious meal and going without.

But a water leak is forcing the pantry to close its doors as early as next Wednesday — unless an alternative site is found.

“This place helps me a lot,” said Sonia Rondon, 46. “If they close, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

The pantry, run by the nonprof- it Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development (MWIRD), serves about 2,500 people and distributes more than 6,000 lbs. of food and fresh produce each month.

“There is a hunger crisis in the Bronx. This community cannot afford to lose this pantry,” said Sultana Ocasio, the group’s executive director.

For the last four years, the pantry has been housed in the annex of the Highbridge Community Church at 1272 Ogden Ave.

But the space will have to be closed off indefinitely to fix the leak, which has knocked out ceiling panels and warped the floor.

Ocasio is hoping to rent another site that is accessible to deliveries, with room for an industrialsized freezer, refrigerator and storage space.

“We really don’t want to have to suspend the pantry,” she said. “It’s hard to stop a program like this and start it up again.”

Pedro Minaya, 46, was one of three dozen people waiting on line Wednesday for the pantry’s selection of cereal, bread, milk, juice, produce and more.

“It’s going to be tough for the people around here because they really depend on this,” he said.

With spring and summer approaching, Ocasio said, the timing could not be worse.

“In an area like this, where there are no food carts and quality in the stores is not that good, if there is no pantry, the access to fresh produce is just not there.”

To contact MWIRD with an available space, call (917) 529-5242.