Ridgewood Elementary Schooler Teams Up with Hungry Monk to Provide Food for Those Affected by Coronavirus

Jacob Altamirano, who is in fifth grade at P.S. 290Q in Ridgewood and already has a long history of community service behind him, partnered with Hungry Monk to provide families affected by coronavirus with bags full of food—and flowers for Mother’s Day—on May 9. Jacob was inspired to start this project when he realized coronavirus job loss might be contributing to hunger in his community. Hungry Monk has provided Queens families and people without homes with food since 2017.

“Many kids in the community are eating only one meal a day, and parents are losing their jobs due to Covid-19,” he told NYMetroParents. “[Teaming up with] Hungry Monk was a great experience. We got to help others.” 

Jacob and his mother Connie Altamirano purchased $850 worth of food from BJ's thanks to donations from Jacob’s piggy bank, Connie and her daughter Jamie, and other family and friends. Hungry Monk picked the food up from the Altamirano house and set Jacob up at Covenant Lutheran Church to create grocery bags of breakfast items, meat, beans, vegetables, and snacks to give to community members. As for the Mother’s Day flowers? That was Jacob’s idea too. He reached out to a florist (who has asked to remain anonymous), who donated 150 pre-packaged flowers so everyone was able to get a bouquet. 

Jacob thought of handing out flowers after Connie shared with him the feelings of anxiety that standing online for food—and for her, standing online for a DOE remote learning device—can provoke. 

“When people come, we have to smile, we have to tell them we’re in this together, that we’re going to get through this together,” Connie instructed Jacob. “[Tell them], ‘we’re here to help in any way we can, and we’re here to brighten your day.’”