The expanded Part of the Solution (POTS) will provide essential emergency food services to New Yorkers in need<\/p>\n
Bronx, NY- Today, Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Majority Leader Joel Rivera, Council Member Fernando Cabrera and hunger advocates joined Part of the Solution (POTS) at a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil its newly expanded headquarters, thirty years to the day after serving its first meal.<\/p>\n
POTS, the largest emergency food program in the Bronx, provides low-income people and their families with essential services to address basic, immediate needs and to help individuals take the next steps to stabilize and improve their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn hard economic times, it\u2019s vital that organizations like POTS are part of the solution to help New Yorkers in need,\u201d said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. \u201cPOTS provides an invaluable service to our community and works with clients to secure federally funded benefits \u2014 and now that Governor Cuomo has announced the City will no longer require food stamp applicants to submit to finger imaging, POTS will be able to help even more people get the assistance they need.\u201d <\/p>\n
Construction on POTS\u2019 facility expansion began in February of 2010 and was undertaken to improve and expand the scope of services offered to the POTS\u2019 community. These expansions include offering cooking classes to families and providing additional educational programming to its clients. POTS new site will also feature a medical clinic and will convert its existing food pantry to a self-select \u201cgrocery store\u201d style model.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are delighted to be opening this new facility to better meet the needs of our community. Not only will we serve more people, but we will be able to offer a broader range of services. It\u2019s what our community deserves\u201d, said Donn C. Dolce, Chairman of POTS.<\/p>\n
The new 15,000 square foot building, made possible in part with $334,000 in capital funds from the City Council will triple the space for available programs and permit all of POTS programs to operate in a vastly improved physical environment. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor 30 years, POTS has been an integral part of the Bronx community, serving the vulnerable and offering a safe and welcoming space for those in need,\u201d said Council Member Annabel Palma, Chair of the Council\u2019s Committee on General Welfare. \u201cHowever, POTS has long since outgrown their previous space, creating a real hardship for the organization and those they serve. That\u2019s why I\u2019m so excited to be a part of the opening of this new facility, which will ensure POTS has the space and resources necessary to continue to serve our community for years to come.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is exciting not only for POTS but also for the community. The number of individuals POTS has served over the years have increased tremendously leading to the inevitable expansion into the new facility. I am proud to have allocated funding to help make this possible. By outgrowing their original space of a simple food pantry, they now have evolved into a full outreach program with the capacity to reach many more individuals under a single roof,\u201d said Council Member Joel Rivera.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty years ago, Part of the Solution opened its doors to the Bronx as a soup kitchen to feed the hungry,\u201d said Council Member Fernando Cabrera. \u201cToday, it\u2019s expanded to become one of the city\u2019s largest multi-service community organizations. POTS does incredible work for our community, and I\u2019m thrilled to help welcome them to their new and improved home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of the Solution (POTS) opened its doors as a soup kitchen in the Bronx on January 6, 1982. Since then, the organization\u2019s mission has expanded from simply feeding its neighbors to nourishing the needs of the community in a holistic way. POTS is now a multi-service agency that addresses low-income people\u2019s most immediate, basic needs and helps them take the next steps to stabilize and improve their lives. The organization\u2019s guiding belief has always been to respond to the needs of the hungry, homeless, poor and working poor and to serve them with respect and compassion. More than 12,000 people, including 2,500 families with 3,500 children, are expected to benefit from POTS emergency food, case management, and legal services in 2012.
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The expanded Part of the Solution (POTS) will provide essential emergency food services to New Yorkers in need<\/p>\n
Bronx, NY- Today, Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Majority Leader Joel Rivera, Council Member Fernando Cabrera and hunger advocates joined Part of the Solution (POTS) at a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil its newly expanded headquarters, thirty years to the day after serving its first meal.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n