By Molly Houston-DiSalvo, DIAD committee member

This Spring on the Upper East Side, NYJL’s Done in a Day Committee coordinated a visit to the Urban Outreach Center with six Junior League volunteers. Alongside UOC staff and volunteers from other organizations, we helped ensure a smooth, successful, and fun food-pantry shift. Each volunteer gave out a particular food item, replacing the supply when a carton ran out and, most enjoyably, chatting with the recipients.

The scope of the food options was truly impressive and high-quality. Wheat tortillas, fruit, vegetables, bagels, salad kits, seasonings, protein bars, and much more were donated from local sources and well-known grocery chains. We gave out the food as requested by recipients and helped tidy up afterward.

The Done in A Day committee first started volunteering at the UOC in October 2018. Hospitality, Dignity, and Justice are the pillars of the Urban Outreach Center’s work. The UOC’s mission is “to create spaces of justice-centered hospitality where low-income New Yorkers can access the necessities and connections they need to thrive,” and their vision is “to end the hunger gap in East Harlem and the Upper East Side by connecting New Yorkers with the healthy food and social services they need, with the dignity they deserve.” The organization’s awareness of food insecurity and invisible hunger is at the heart of its efforts, and their website provides eye-opening statistics and knowledge about food insecurity today.

The Urban Outreach Center offers this farmer’s market-style food pantry, where locals can schedule appointments in advance or walk-in during the week’s sessions. Additionally on Tuesday evenings, the UOC and its volunteers serve a community dinner. Other essential services from the UOC include mailing addresses for jobseekers and career coaching. The first-floor open space is beautiful and newly renovated with lots of seating, a kids’ play area, musical instruments, and even an indoor waterfall. Spending two hours giving out healthy food to fellow New Yorkers was a memorable experience and we encourage all NYJL members to join us for future volunteer dates. Keep an eye on the Done In A Day calendar in Digital Cheetah for opportunities to register.