Abbey Kim photo
NICE Director Rasheed: “People know we’ll be here and won’t fail them.”
Sacred Heart University student Pavan Morla and his three roommates showed up to the Howard Avenue police substation just before noon — to pick up apples, tomatoes, cheese, and milk, at a food pantry that has been serving the Hill for nearly a decade.
Morla and his roommates ended up getting the last number slips, 77 through 80, among those who turned out to 410 Howard Ave. Saturday to pick up free groceries from the New Haven Inner City Enrichment (NICE) Center Food Pantry.
That food pantry is run by Jamilah Rasheed, and provides free food — including milk, oil, and fish — for roughly 80 families every second Thursday and last Saturday of the month, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Some Hill neighbors arrived as early as 8 a.m. in hopes of taking home their pick of free groceries.
Organizers handed out 80 numbered slips. Families and friends huddled together outside, conversing in Pashto, Spanish, and English as they waited. When their numbers were called, clients would file in to the brightly-outfitted recreation room of the New Haven Police Department substation building.
Shakiba Eig and Edat Ranman heard about the food pantry through their local Muslim community. They both have been coming to the pantry for a while, taking home everything from bananas to beans. Rasheed explained that there’s a large local Muslim population, including immigrants from Afghanistan and Iraq, in the Hill.
Morla, the Sacred Heart student, said that he and his roommates usually come at 9 a.m. to “camp out” and be among the first in line for food. After number 40 or 50, Morla explained, you don’t know what you’ll get. He added that sometimes the pantry runs out of food, as it is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Saturday was a busy day, according to Rasheed. Rasheed said clients are a mix of familiar and returning faces. Over the years, she’s been able to build a relationship with many of them.
“We’ve been here eight years,” Rasheed said, “so people know we’ll be here and won’t fail them.”
Rasheed herself has been in the Hill neighborhood for more than 40 years. She said she’s familiar with the specific needs here — particularly for accessible fresh, healthy foods.
The Center distributes fresh produce and meat. At least once a month, they stock hygiene products — including feminine hygiene products and dish soap.
Soon, volunteers plan on hanging a banner outside the station to alert people of the food bank. For now, information about NICE travels mainly through emails, fliers, and word of mouth.
Volunteers Anger Dok and Alex Boakye greeted clients with an enthusiastic string of “Hola,” “Salamun,” or “Hi.” Both are Yale School of Public Health students who have been volunteering since September, when Dok heard Rasheed speak at their orientation.
“It’s a great way to put a public health education into actual practice,” Boakye said.
NICE works in collaboration with CT Foodshare, Haven’s Harvest, CFAN, and CARE. Recently, it secured a CT Foodshare Impact Grant that will allow it to purchase industrial fridges, which will hopefully increase the amount of fresh food volunteers can store on site.
Morla and his roommates were among the last people to enter the distribution room. (A family of four who arrived later but wasn’t able to get a slip came in behind them.) They left with bags filled with apples, tomatoes, dried fruit and nuts, penne, cheese, oil, milk, peanut butter, and rice. Morla said he plans on making a fish curry with their new ingredients.
At the food pantry on Saturday at 410 Howard.
Rasheed at work.
Waiting in line.
