RXR commits $100,000 to East Side House Settlement

New York, NY RXR, a leading real estate owner, operator and developer, is making a $100,000 commitment to East Side House Settlement (ESH), one of the Bronx’s oldest community-based nonprofit organizations. The donation will help expedite the construction of an all-new, commercial grade ‘Community Teaching Kitchen,’ allowing ESH to expand its significant food security program in the South Bronx.

Located at 805 East 139th St., the kitchen will directly serve the local community, providing on-site training opportunities for 50 students per year, as part of ESH’s Post-Secondary Pathways program, to earn industry-recognized certifications, opportunities for students to apply for relevant jobs, and the chance to give back to their own community by preparing and delivering meals to their neighbors in need. 

Along with the financial contribution, RXR will also provide pro bono technical services to support the construction of the space.

As a result of the pandemic, ESH has expanded services to address long-standing food insecurity and the need for economic development in the South Bronx, an area with very limited availability of and access to nutritious food, supermarkets, or grocery stores. The creation of the Community Teaching Kitchen will allow ESH to increase its capacity in the South Bronx and:

• Expand its Post-Secondary Pathways (PSP) program to include food industry skills training opportunities for industry-recognized certifications. Young people will also gain skills in project and inventory management, warehouse operations, delivery logistics systems, staff management and nutrition

• Expand its “Harvest to Haven” program which sources and purchases surplus crops from struggling farmers and distributes that produce and grocery items to families in the Bronx.

• Produce over 8,000 meals a day in the new kitchen to food-insecure community residents. This will include all meals for older adults enrolled in the Home Delivered Meals program, meals for students enrolled in afterschool services, and a small set of emergency meals for community members in dire need.

• Open the kitchen to other programs and community members to host a series of activities that promote health, wellness, and nutrition including healthy cooking workshops for students in ESH afterschool programs and intergenerational cooking lessons for parents and students.

• Develop a small business incubator to invite local entrepreneurs into the space to test and incubate business ideas.

“East Side House has long been a staple in the South Bronx - since the pandemic helping provide meals to food insecure communities across the borough,” said Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15). “Investment in community organizations like East Side House are key in ensuring residents of the South Bronx have access to services and education they need and deserve. I am proud to have secured $600,000 in funding for this impactful organization and am encouraged by the contribution by RXR.”

"Throughout the pandemic and since breaking ground on new development, we've worked in tandem with East Side House Settlement to support South Bronx residents with impactful community-first initiatives, including a food drive in April 2020 that served thousands of local residents at a critical moment. Most recently, efforts included a professional clothing drive and a hiring event to connect residents with local onsite construction jobs," said Joseph Graziose, senior vice president of Residential Development at RXR. “Today, we are proud to follow Congressman Torres's leadership with our own commitment of $100,000 to directly support a new community-led kitchen – an innovative solution and workforce development asset that will open doors to the culinary world for young people in the South Bronx."

“East Side House is so fortunate to have RXR as our partners in this work. By investing in our Community Teaching Kitchen, RXR is investing in the health of our families and the economic health of our community. We are excited to launch the kitchen and look forward to continuing to expand the programming we can offer from it,” said Daniel Diaz, executive director of East Side House Settlement.