>>> THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS
>>> THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS ALSO SET OFF ANOTHER CRISIS, A
ALSO SET OFF ANOTHER CRISIS, A FOOD CRISIS.
FOOD CRISIS. FOOD BANKS ARE BEING FLOODED
FOOD BANKS ARE BEING FLOODED RIGHT NOW AND THE SUPPLY IS NOT
RIGHT NOW AND THE SUPPLY IS NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMAND AS
KEEPING UP WITH THE DEMAND AS PEOPLE LINE UP AT COMMUNITY
PEOPLE LINE UP AT COMMUNITY KITCHENS ACROSS THE NATION.
KITCHENS ACROSS THE NATION. U.S. FARMERS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO
U.S. FARMERS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LET FOOD ROT IN THEIR FIELDS.
LET FOOD ROT IN THEIR FIELDS. IT IS A STARK EXAMPLE OF HOW THE
IT IS A STARK EXAMPLE OF HOW THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS FAILED TO CONNECT GROWERS
HAS FAILED TO CONNECT GROWERS AND PACKERS WITH FOOD BANKS AND
AND PACKERS WITH FOOD BANKS AND GROCERS.
GROCERS. "MORNING JOE" VISITED A NEW YORK
"MORNING JOE" VISITED A NEW YORK CHURCH THAT RUNS A CITYWIDE FOOD
CHURCH THAT RUNS A CITYWIDE FOOD PANTRY AND SPOKE TO THEIR
PANTRY AND SPOKE TO THEIR LEADERS ABOUT THEIR WORK AND
LEADERS ABOUT THEIR WORK AND STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND.
STRUGGLE TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND. >> MY NAME IS PASTOR MARK.
>> MY NAME IS PASTOR MARK. WE’RE HERE AT EVANGEL CHURCH AND
WE’RE HERE AT EVANGEL CHURCH AND WE’RE RUNNING A FOOD PANTRY.
WE’RE RUNNING A FOOD PANTRY. NORMALLY ON A SATURDAY, WE WOULD
NORMALLY ON A SATURDAY, WE WOULD FEED BETWEEN 400 AND 500
FEED BETWEEN 400 AND 500 FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE THIS ALL
WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE THIS ALL STARTED IS WE’VE BEEN FEEDING
STARTED IS WE’VE BEEN FEEDING BETWEEN 400 AND 600 FAMILIES A
BETWEEN 400 AND 600 FAMILIES A DAY.
DAY. THE NEED IS UNIMAGINABLE.
THE NEED IS UNIMAGINABLE. >> I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO. THEY ARE PRICE GOUGING
THEY ARE PRICE GOUGING EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. YOU CANNOT MAKE IT THROUGH WITH
YOU CANNOT MAKE IT THROUGH WITH YOUR -- WITH WHAT THEY’RE GIVING
YOUR -- WITH WHAT THEY’RE GIVING YOU IN STIMULUS AT THIS TIME.
YOU IN STIMULUS AT THIS TIME. THE FOOD STAMPS, THE STORES ARE
THE FOOD STAMPS, THE STORES ARE GOUGING THE PRICES SO HIGH, MAKE
GOUGING THE PRICES SO HIGH, MAKE IT TWO WEERKSS MAYBE.
IT TWO WEERKSS MAYBE. >> WE STARTED THIS PANTRY FIVE
>> WE STARTED THIS PANTRY FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.
OR SIX YEARS AGO. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ON OUR HEARTS
IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ON OUR HEARTS BUT THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE IN
BUT THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE IN NEED AND SO MANY PEOPLE THAT
NEED AND SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WEREN’T IN NEED BEFORE.
WEREN’T IN NEED BEFORE. THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN
THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN AMAZING.
AMAZING. WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM OUR OWN
WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM OUR OWN CHURCH.
CHURCH. PEOPLE FROM OTHER LOCAL
PEOPLE FROM OTHER LOCAL CHURCHES.
CHURCHES. THE NATIONAL GUARD HERE HELPING
THE NATIONAL GUARD HERE HELPING US.
US. WE’RE SEEING SO MANY PEOPLE THAT
WE’RE SEEING SO MANY PEOPLE THAT NORMALLY WE’D NEVER SEE ON THE
NORMALLY WE’D NEVER SEE ON THE PANTRY LINE IN THE PAST BECAUSE
PANTRY LINE IN THE PAST BECAUSE THEY’VE LOST THEIR JOBS.
THEY’VE LOST THEIR JOBS. THEY HAVEN’T GOTTEN PAYCHECKS OR
THEY HAVEN’T GOTTEN PAYCHECKS OR PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR DELIVERIES
PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR DELIVERIES BECAUSE THEY’RE AFRAID TO GO OUT
BECAUSE THEY’RE AFRAID TO GO OUT OR THEY’RE ELDERLY, AT RISK OR
OR THEY’RE ELDERLY, AT RISK OR VAN ELDERLY PERSON AT HOME.
VAN ELDERLY PERSON AT HOME. WE HAD TO TURN OUR ENTIRE
WE HAD TO TURN OUR ENTIRE BUILDING UPSIDE DOWN IN A COUPLE
BUILDING UPSIDE DOWN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS WHICH HAS BEEN QUITE THE
OF DAYS WHICH HAS BEEN QUITE THE UNDERTAKING.
UNDERTAKING. >> WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER TO
>> WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER TO ALMOST 2,000 FAMILIES ALL AROUND
ALMOST 2,000 FAMILIES ALL AROUND NEW YORK CITY.
NEW YORK CITY. EVEN SOME OUT OF LONG ISLAND.
EVEN SOME OUT OF LONG ISLAND. SOUTH BRONX, UPPER MANHATTAN,
SOUTH BRONX, UPPER MANHATTAN, ASTORIA, QUEENS.
ASTORIA, QUEENS. I CAN ALSO SHOW YOU THE MAP OF
I CAN ALSO SHOW YOU THE MAP OF THOSE THAT ARE STILL REQUESTING
THOSE THAT ARE STILL REQUESTING TO BE DELIVERED.
TO BE DELIVERED. THE REQUESTS COME IN FASTER THAN
THE REQUESTS COME IN FASTER THAN WE’RE ABLE TO FILL THEM.
WE’RE ABLE TO FILL THEM. WE NEED HELP DRIVING.
WE NEED HELP DRIVING. WE NEED HELP GETTING MORE FOOD
WE NEED HELP GETTING MORE FOOD IN THE BUILDING BECAUSE WE’RE
IN THE BUILDING BECAUSE WE’RE GOING THROUGH CLOSE TO 60
GOING THROUGH CLOSE TO 60 PALLETS OF FOOD.
PALLETS OF FOOD. THEY’VE BEEN AMAZING BUT I’M
THEY’VE BEEN AMAZING BUT I’M JUST HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING
JUST HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED
SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED ALL THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE OUR
ALL THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE OUR NEED HAS GONE UP TENFOLD AND OUR
