After financial struggles, Reaching-Out Community Services reopens food pantry in new location

After a challenging year that almost forced it to close entirely, Reaching-Out Community Services reopened its food pantry at a new location in Bensonhurst last week.

Earlier this year, the organization — which has been providing food assistance and other programs to low-income Brooklynites for three decades — announced it was struggling. Demand for its services had skyrocketed, but so had operating costs and rent at the program’s old facility on New Utrecht Avenue, and financial support was dwindling. 

In August, RCS’ founder and executive director said on Instagram that the org had been forced to reduce its staff and “cut off” thousands of families who had been receiving help. He reached out to local elected officials for support, according to News12, but by mid-September, the org had vacated its old headquarters, and things were looking dire. Neve put out a call for donations online, saying RCS was looking for a new home, but would need funds to support the move, “since we have drained out our budget.”

That support came together just in time, and RCS unveiled its new facility on 18th Avenue on Nov. 13 – just in time for the holidays. 

“The 30-year-old program, once again, is continuing its mission, regardless of some challenges that we had to endure,” Neve told Brooklyn Paper. “The reason why we moved here is so we could help the community members. Thousands of people are going through hard times with food insecurity, and that’s the purpose of this mission, to help those who are suffering with food insecurity, and they need a helping hand.”

Neve thanked Council Member Susan Zhuang, Assembly Member William Colton, and U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, and local orgs including the Rotary Club of Verrazano and the Ben-Bay Kiwanis Club for their support.  

“RCS does such good work for people who are struggling to feed themselves and their families,” Zhuang said in a statement. “They are literally a lifeline for people in the community struggling with food insecurity. That is why I was proud to allocate funding for their vital food pantry program. Low-income residents deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter their financial circumstances.”

The organization’s “innovative” program eases the burden and stigma of going to a food pantry, Zhuang said. Per RCS’ website, its “Digital Client Choice Food Pantry System” is “one-of-a-kind.” 

Clients select their items, including fresh produce, on a bilingual touch screen computer — unlike at other pantries, where visitors might pick up pre-made bags of food. RCS workers receive the orders, find each item within the facility, and bring them to the client. 

On opening day, the new facility was fully stocked and had plenty of visitors. RCS mostly serves locals in South Brooklyn and asks prospective clients to provide proof of address and some explanation of their financial situation. 

Neve said he appreciated the support from the community and local orgs who came together to support RCS and southern Brooklynites in need of food assistance.

“It’s so needed, especially at this time, more than ever before,” he said. “Hopefully, we can see the good … we can keep that good going, and we’ll hopefully be successful in the mission we are trying to accomplish here.” 

More than a million people in New York City are struggling with food insecurity, according to CityHarvest, and one in four children don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Food pantry visits in the city up 80% compared to 2019, as families grapple with higher grocery prices and general cost of living increases. 

In Community District 11, which includes Bensonhurst, the median household income is around $60,000, according to the city’s Equitable Development Data Explorer. That’s considered “low-income” in New York City, and 25% of households in the district earn less than 30% of the Area Median Income — or $41,940 for a family of three — and are considered “very low-income.” 

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, RCS is preparing for its annual Thanksgiving giveaway, but it needs donations to make the event successful. 

“Hopefully, we can see the food that’s going to go, we can keep that good going, and we’ll hopefully be successful in the mission we are trying to accomplish here,” reads a post on RCS’ website. “We can continue to help as we did last year, but not without support from our caring friends. So please, let’s give thanks for what we have and just share a little back for those who are not so fortunate. Support and help feed a family or two for this Thanksgiving.”

Additional reporting by Arthur de Gaeta