From Food Drives To Business Grants, Harlem Steps Up For Holidays

HARLEM, NY — Times are tough in Harlem this holiday season for residents and small businesses alike, but a number of programs are offering ways for families to avoid hunger and for shops to keep the lights on.

Food drives

A number of food drives and giveaways are being planned as the coronavirus has spiked the number of food insecure New Yorkers, and all Americans, by the millions.

At 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, free produce will be given out on East 120th Street and Madison Avenue (corner of Marcus Garvey Park) by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and the Hunts Point Produce Market.

In East Harlem, the New York Academy of Medicine is hosting a food drive to deliver groceries to families in need. To sign up to receive groceries or to volunteer with the distribution, fill out this Google Form. (Note: volunteer slots are limited due to social distancing requirements.)

The nonprofit Meals for Good, partnering with Indivisible Harlem, is likewise raising money for grocery and produce donations for Harlem families throughout the holidays.

Further uptown, the nonprofit Brotherhood/Sister Sol hosts food giveaways outside its Hamilton Heights headquarters that are open to the public every other week. (In the weeks in between, the giveaways are open to members only).

Bro/Sis is also raising money for a holiday food drive, seeking donations to provide full Thanksgiving meals and groceries for hundreds of its members.

To find a food bank in Harlem, or anywhere in the city, use this searchable map.

Business grants

Small businesses, too, can get a lifeline before winter hits. The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone recently announced a $2 million loan fund, providing up to $50,000 each for uptown businesses.

Read more about who qualifies for the UMEZ program here, and apply online here.

Meanwhile, the East Harlem Small Business Grant program is still accepting applications after already giving out more than $2 million. The grant program is funded from the 2014 sale of the former Pathmark supermarket property on the corner of East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue, for $39 million, and administered by Union Settlement and several local elected officials.

Click here to learn more and apply for the East Harlem grants, which range up to $20,000.

Outside the neighborhood, small businesses and landlords can apply for the statewide New York Forward Loan Fund.

This summer, Harlem Assemblymember Inez Dickens introduced a bill in the State Assembly that would set up a New York state small business protection program, providing loans and grants to entities with fewer than 100 employees and who did not receive any CARES Act funding. The bill is still in committee.

Do you know about any food distributions or business grants that weren't included in this article? Let us know in the comments.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.