On May 13, Congressman Daniel Goldman from the New York Congress visited the nonprofit organization “UA3” located at 384 Grand St in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He personally presented a $581,000 federal community project grant to expand “UA3’s” dry and refrigerated food storage capacity, as well as to purchase delivery trucks to provide robust resources for the organization’s free meal delivery program, continuing to serve the marginalized communities in need of assistance.
Congressman Goldman was warmly welcomed by the crowd at the event. In his speech, he mentioned that from the Lower East Side to Chinatown and Sunset Park, UA3 is dedicated to ensuring all New Yorkers have access to quality, fresh meals. This funding is crucial in helping UA3 continue to support New Yorkers, food security, and extend the freshness of stored food.
Don Hong, co-founder and CEO of “UA3,” mentioned in an interview that Congressman Goldman learned about the organization’s previous efforts to purchase and donate baby formula, PPE, food, and clothing for the community out of their own pockets. This led him to award $581,000 in federal funds to allow UA3 to purchase commercial trucks to continue serving the community.
UA3 was founded in 2015, and according to Don Hong, at the time their daughter was still in high school and realized the issue of food security, encouraging their family to donate supplies to help the community. Co-founder Kin Wah Lee introduced an 86-year-old Chinese mother at a press conference, highlighting that she is the only one in the family who can take care of her 110-year-old mother. This elderly woman regularly collects free vegetables from UA3, and Kin Wah Lee always ensures she gets her goods first, saving her the waiting time.
The UA3 food bank network spans across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, with 130 partners including private institutions, government agencies, and community organizations. Their services reach affordable housing complexes like the Grand Street Guild, NYCHA Rutgers Houses, NYCHA Smith Houses, United Chinese Association, Tai Shan Du Hu Association of America, among others.
A poverty tracking report indicates that the percentage of low-income non-citizen New Yorkers receiving meal delivery services has nearly doubled from 17% to 30%, while the percentage for low-income citizens has increased from 18% to 20%. According to the Robin Hood collaborative organization “City Harvest,” in the first half of 2022, New Yorkers used meal and soup delivery services an average of 3.5 million times per month, a 69% increase compared to the first half of 2019.