Re-open Astor Community Garden and the BITE Food Pantry

Thank you Bishop Bland and your volunteers, for all the great work you are doing for the community during the pandemic giving food and vital resources for the community,offering Covid vaccination and testing!

Please open

This is not the best time to close the food bank, so many people out if work. Shame on you all.

To God’s blessings

An awesome program, much needed in our community.

Please reopen

Please keep the Bite and the pantry going it helps me feed my family and help us find job and get help Thanks to miss Bishops for helping us you’re such a god sent woman god blessings with you always you help everyone keep doing the good work thanks again

Please reopen the Astor Community garden and pantry.

If you can be anything be kind.

I am asking those in charge to look into one heart and take a look in the mirror to see that you are the one on the food line and that you are a loving person that care about those in need the BITE program have made so many citizens to stand up to get help and the BITE was there for them of the many different ethnic groups of of our wonderful citizens let’s help the citizens of this great city to show love and understanding of one need because you and I as leaders are the one that can make a change in one life by opening the BITE food pantry back up for those in need we all are God children’s of many different ethnic groups of love that is the human race of love

They serves the community.

We, as a community need more spaces like this, certainly not less. You are doing a fantastic job at the Astor Community Garden, let us pray that your work can continue and grow.

Please keep the garden open my family enjoy all the wonderful programs

hello to and my children it is a great blessing the help that you give wish you open soon god bless you

I've known Tinia Bland and Deborah Alston for several yrs now - both as a gardener and JC resident - & think the work that these two women & B.I.T.E. do is fabulous! & especially important right now to all those folks challenged w/ food insecurity & struggling to stretch household dollars to meet basic necessities while attempting to grapple w/ COVID19...including the vital ready access to testing! It's been amazing to see all of the hustle & bustle on a less than a half-acre plot - painstakingly developed yrs ago into a green gem when once the adjacent street corners made for a loitering hangout. Astor Garden's years of dedication to our City's youth and seniors...w/ cultural trips & educational tours; how to "grow-your-own" - whether that be food &/or self-esteem - workshops & book clubs; celebrations which acknowledge the contributions of our Founding Fathers, & Veterans & current service men & women; events that give thanks for the love & support of mothers & fathers, guardians & mentors; Christmas tree lighting's & other holiday festivities; educational fairs that remind all of us of this planet we call Home; meet-your-representatives & voter registration, & nutrition programs. Plus, the ability to saunter into the garden to get a tote of veggies & herbs knowing that it's a judgement free zone has been wonderful! & then there's B.I.T.E.'s food pantry, clothing, & selfcare distributions; entrepreneurial informationals & community service outreach - what real community is all about! My hope is that, in the near future, folks will once again be inside the gate - fully enjoying the benefits of a community garden! It has meant more than access to fresh produce...although that is very important. Working in the garden has been an ideal way for folks across all ages, ethnicities, races, & socio-economics to embrace the spirit of volunteerism, develop skill sets, & build business principles. The garden has beautified the neighborhood, & provided a clean & cool

This Program is need excellent For the community during this pandemic

I am signing this petition to inform you that the BITE organization helps so many families in the community. This organization has been helping people for a very long time however, right now with this pandemic, it is more critical of a time than ever. Many people are not working and are struggling right now. By this organization providing so many families with food, it has truly been an enormous blessing. Please reopen the Astor Place Garden, so that no family or person will go hungry or have to worry about how they are going to afford buying produce & groceries. The BITE organization is also affiliated with a church which provides many other vital resources for so many people in the community. I ask that you please take all of this into account. Thank you.

The food program and the senior resource services are excellent

Keep the garden and the food pantry open. It provides much needed community resources for families

The pandemic has hit many communities and it is felt more by the under-served that's why I am signing the petition because there are families who can continue to supplement their families diets with this much needed resources.