As food prices continue to skyrocket across New York, more and more food pantries are coming to the rescue and are committed to opening their doors to serve the most in-need families in communities.
Community Pantry Inc. in Richmond Hill, Queens, formally, Calvary’s Mission Food Pantry, has rebranded its services for the better, said board member Roger Gary, who joined founder, Tony Singh, both Guyanese-born, to run an efficient and rewarding, regular Saturday hours-long distribution.
Volunteers at the 112-16 89th Ave. location, on Saturday, Sept. 27, handed out over eight hundred nutritious meals to residents who joined a line on a ‘reserved timing’ schedule to avoid overcrowding in the neighborhood.
The line moved quickly due to extra help from the St. John’s University Red Storm Women’s Track & Field team, which volunteers thrice yearly to give back as part of the institution’s philosophy, which includes community service.
The ladies, decked out in signature red sweatshirts emblazoned with the university’s insignia, extended salutations and interacted with families in a dignified and polite manner. They shared veggies, pasta, fruit, and other food items to ensure everyone left with a hefty bag of groceries.
Singh welcomed and thanked the athletes for volunteering and reminded them that the pantry serves the working poor. “People are working, yet food insecurity is real. You are in college, you understand money is tight, and when you can be of service to someone going through hard times, it’s a good thing,” he said. “We have been serving nutritious meals in this community every week for over 25 years. Today, we served approximately 800 families, and mothers with their babies.”
“It has been amazing because you feel good when you are able to give back; it is wonderful. The Bible says it’s a blessing to give rather than to receive. When somebody gives you something and you receive it, you receive it in love, and that’s what we try to do.”
“We give people food with love, so when they come through here, we don’t want them to feel like they’re begging; we want them to know that this is something that we are doing with a smile and with the love of God,” said Singh.
Head Coach Guyanese American Olympic Champion Aliann Pompey, who continues to assemble a top-level coaching staff, according to St. John’s Director of Athletics Mike Cragg, applauded the athletes for volunteering, adding that she was proud of the ladies.
She said St. John’s allows her to engage the athletes in volunteerism, which plays a big part in the athletics department’s efforts to give back to the communities that they belong to.
The girls volunteered in two sessions. The first set of 20 bagged veggies for the clients, while the second set 20 filled out the clients’ shopping cards.
“We volunteer with Community Pantry. The girls show up very early. The entire team of 40 is here. I am the head coach and personally responsible for the sprinters and hurdlers. We have other coaches who take care of other events,” said Pompey.
“I am extremely proud of the girls; they’re very committed to the work we do on the field, in our communities, and in the classroom,” she shared.
Lexia Robinson, a Jamaican native and Athletics Throws Coach, said, “Today is our university service day, so we decided to come out to volunteer. We typically come here about three times per year. It’s an amazing opportunity. I think our girls benefit the community because St. John’s University is in Queens, so why not support and give back to the community? As a part of the team, we always give back to the community to help the less fortunate.”
“We also do some workouts with special needs individuals. This is an activity I love to participate in. The girls get to engage with the community and meet new people. We always enjoy being here,” said Robinson.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines national, Desmond Robinson, an assistant coach at St. John’s, and a former athlete, who began his career while in graduate school, has been training students in sprints and jumps for the last four years.
A graduate of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Robinson said he began coaching after Pompey, whom he had known for many years, needed a sprint coach and reached out to him.
“I also coached at Long Island University for about nine years prior,” said Robinson, who considers himself a medium-level coach.
“I lived in New York from age 13, so I didn’t start track and field until my sophomore year of college. Since then, I’ve been coaching in track and field.”
“I think it’s always important to give back to the community, because sometimes you never know how privileged you are until you come out and see the community that needs help.”
It puts things into perspective for the athletes by letting them know that they’re fortunate. Many of them are on scholarships, so they are sometimes not aware of how fortunate they are.
“Being a collegiate athlete, you often forget that not everybody has that opportunity, even though they’re athletes and can earn a scholarship. There are people out there who don’t have that type of opportunity to move forward in life and be able to help in some form or fashion, said Robinson, adding that many of the students he is currently coaching will be graduating in 2026.
The students wrote in an Instagram post, “Proud to spend University Service Day giving back at Community Pantry — teamwork doesn’t stop on the track or field; it extends into our community.”
