Filling Hearts, Not Just Bags: Vita Coco and Scotts Flowers Serve 175 East Harlem Families
EAST HARLEM, Mar. 19, 2025 — Under spring sunshine and hum of girl-power anthems, over 175 families gathered Tuesday at Renaissance School of the Arts’ basketball court for Food Bank For New York City’s special Women’s History Month edition of its mobile pantry. The monthly distribution is designed to serve middle school students, their families and the surrounding community with culturally relevant food and connection.
“You’re not just filling a bag — you’re filling hearts,” said Pilar Wilkins, Renaissance’s assistant principal who oversees community programs. “If I can’t put money in your pocket, I want to remove the barrier of hunger.”
The pantry featured culturally relevant produce like yuca and papaya, shelf-stable goods, Starbucks-donated baked treats, and 300 roses from Scotts Flowers NYC. Vita Coco volunteers provided coconut water and helped distribute supplies, building on their partnership that began with December’s “12 Days of Treat-Mas” campaign — a sweepstakes-turned-social impact initiative investing in local food security efforts.
The event also distributed 200 full-cycle menstrual kits from For Women By Women Period, a women-led nonprofit serving Brooklyn and Queens. In a community where nearly every student qualifies for free breakfast and lunch, these efforts serve as a lifeline — not just for students, but for entire families.
“When you’re hungry, you can’t get anything done,” Wilkins said, recalling the first mobile pantry held at the school nearly two years ago. “Rain or shine, people still came. They asked, ‘When’s the next one?’ That’s when I knew we had to keep going.”
The third Thursday of every month has become a service day, drawing support from local students, crossing guards, parents, and seniors from nearby housing developments, with some participants traveling from as far as Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New Jersey.
“It’s just love,” said Wilkins. “I just want to make sure I can put love into your refrigerator — and you can digest that love and feel it.”
As families departed with a custom bouquet of flowers and sustainably sourced, nutritious coconut water, Janis Robinson, VP of Institutions and Partnerships at Food Bank For NYC, summed it up: “Events like this are about more than what’s on the table — they’re about the people gathered around it and the community we’re building.”
About Food Bank
Driven by our mission to empower every New Yorker to achieve food security for good, we harness the collective power of our network of food providers, partners, and volunteers to activate the right resources, supports, and expertise across the five boroughs. Our work with more than 800 soup kitchens, food pantries, and campus partners provides immediate and reliable access to food and nutrition education, while our economic empowerment programs give people the tools and know-how to improve their financial wellness. Community by community, we work together to make progress on a more hopeful, dignified, and equitable future for all.