New York’s Staten Island — As a young mother, Lt. Esther Mobley, the head pastor of The Salvation Army Stapleton Corps, had difficulty providing for her children.
Mobley sought assistance from The Salvation Army in her hometown of Philadelphia, where she was greeted warmly and given food, toys, and after-school programs, all of which were made possible by the kindness of others.
After experiencing food insecurity in the past, Mobley has dedicated her life to assisting Staten Islanders who are facing similar challenges.
It’s just returning to them what they gave me—that protection, that comfort, the assurance that my kids would have something under the tree when they woke up on Christmas morning. Even though I didn’t have any food in the house, I knew my kids would eat as long as they were at The Salvation Army, Mobley said, thanks to the after-school program’s blanket.
Years later, Mobley is now the director of The Salvation Army Stapleton Corps, which provides food to hundreds of Staten Islanders in one of the borough neighborhoods most affected by poverty through its soup kitchen and food pantry.
Every month, 700 families get a variety of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, high-quality meats, cereal, pasta, and canned items from the food pantry, which is accessible Tuesday through Thursday. This enables people to make wholesome, well-balanced meals that they might not have been able to otherwise afford.
Every month, about 500 residents receive home-cooked meals from the soup kitchen, which is open Monday through Friday. Mobley leads the residents in prayer before sitting down at the table to make sure that everyone is not only fed but also listened and cared for.
One word, in my opinion, perfectly captures what it means to be able to feed the homeless and underprivileged here on Staten Island: blessing. It’s a boon. “Being able to serve these people is a privilege and an honor,” Mobley added. I frequently hear people say that we are like family to them. They know they are accepted, so they feel at ease knowing they can come here and eat without feeling embarrassed or humiliated.
Seeking Help for the Holidays
The holidays might be one of the most trying times of the year for some Staten Islanders, but for many others, they are a time of happiness. At that point, those in need find it difficult to give their family the celebrations they are entitled to.
Since many of their regulars have nowhere else to go, Mobley said the charity frequently experiences an increase in demand for both the soup kitchen and food pantry when the holidays get near and the temperature drops.
The organization is currently getting ready for its annual community dinner, which last year provided 150 individuals with a complete, traditional Thanksgiving meal complete with all the fixings. Thanksgiving is almost approaching.
With the same anticipation, we hope to do that again this year, sit down with them, communicate with them, and simply let them know that we are available. “You don’t have to be alone just because it’s Thanksgiving,” Mobley remarked.
Additionally, the food pantry will be giving away all the materials needed for a turkey giveaway on November 21 for individuals who want to cook for their families at home.
It relieves the families of a burdensome burden. Many single mothers with their kids come in with their kids, and they are really appreciative since they wouldn’t be able to provide for their family on Thanksgiving Day otherwise. According to Mobley, it’s a godsend for them and relieves some of the tension and anxiety that comes with attempting to provide for their families.
The group has 250 families registered for the event, but there are only 60 turkeys available for distribution, indicating that the demand now exceeds the supply, as is the case with many of the borough’s food banks.
Therefore, everyone who lives or works on Staten Island and is able and willing to help is encouraged to call Mobley at 718-448-8480.
Additionally, Mobley is already getting ready for the organization’s Christmas luncheon, which will be held on December 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., even though Thanksgiving is presently the most anticipated holiday.
For many of the guests, the yearly event is particularly meaningful because it not only gives them a hot meal but also gives them a chance to come together and rejoice with their community.
“People were very thankful that we chose to open our doors because they told me they had nowhere else to go and they didn’t know what they were going to do on Christmas,” Mobley added.
Food Insecurity in Stapleton
The Staten Island Advance/SILive.com produced a series of stories earlier this year titled “Health and Hunger on Staten Island,” which examined the impact of food insecurity on the borough’s citizens’ health.
Reporters discovered that the North Shore’s higher poverty rates and restricted access to large supermarkets led to worse health outcomes because locals found it difficult to find and afford wholesome foods, forcing them to rely on less expensive, processed alternatives at the expense of their health.
An examination of information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2023 PLACES and the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey: The Salvation Army Stapleton Corps is located in the 10304 ZIP code, which was one of the most severely affected locations on Staten Island, according to Local Data for Better Health.
Adults with obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure have among the highest rates on Staten Island in the 10304 ZIP code, where a borough-high 26.1% of households depend on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to feed their families. These rates are 36%, 13.9%, and 32.9%, respectively.
One prevalent misunderstanding regarding food insecurity is that people who experience it are unlikely to get obese or suffer from weight-related conditions since there isn’t enough food available to them.
However, experts emphasized that food insecurity does not always imply that a person is without food; rather, it can refer to a number of circumstances, such as the accessibility of fresh produce in their community and the fact that healthier food is typically more costly, forcing these residents to turn to less nutritious but less expensive options.
You run a higher risk of becoming obese and experiencing its associated side effects, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea, if you can only eat processed foods. Dr. Ana Mendez, chief of ambulatory pediatrics at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), previously told Advance/SILive.com that it can actually shorten your life.
Please email reporter Erik Bascome [email protected] if you or a loved one is experiencing food insecurity and would want to share your experience.
Food Insecurity on Staten Island
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