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Our Work > Programs > Laal x Dhaka Discount Grocery Food Pantry
Laal x Dhaka Discount Grocery Food Pantry
Laal created a formula to calculate assistance amounts by measuring household size, immigration status, SNAP benefits recipients, and health impact due to COVID-19. We found that:
78.4% had difficulty paying for groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic
32.7% did not receive any EBT (food stamps or pandemic-related aid)
Our team understands the severity of the Bangladeshi womxn’s burden and has seen it further exacerbated over the past 12 months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased stress from financial instability, preexisting mental health issues, and food insecurity are taking a toll on our community. With generous support from the New York Foundation, Laal partnered with NYC's Test & Trace Program and Dhaka Discount Grocery in Norwood to hold food pantries. Since the onset of COVID-19, Laal has supported over 1,780 individuals with Bengali staples.
Food Pantry #1: February 17th, 2021
We distributed over 60 Halal Chickens, 1,360 lbs of Padma Rice, 68 pieces of Bangladeshi Lao (squash), and so much more to a total of 34 households — that is food for over 225 individuals! Thanks to NYC's Test and Trace Program, we were able to provide an accessible opportunity for our Bengali womxn, and other Bronxites, to get tested for COVID-19. In just 3.5 hours we tested over 50 members of the community, and all results came out NEGATIVE! Not only were our members tested, we signed-up qualified community members up for the vaccine.
