Some 15,000 pounds of food were handed out in the Bronx on Wednesday, as Goya Foods marked its 90th anniversary with a large community giveaway. The donation was aimed at supporting local families ahead of one of the neighbourhood's biggest celebrations of the year.
The giveaway took place at PS 196 in District 12, where the food was distributed to families across the surrounding community. Organisers framed the event as both a milestone celebration for the company and a practical effort to help residents in need.
Members of the NYPD Hispanic Society, along with local students and school staff, joined in to help with the effort. Together, they packed more than a thousand bags of food that were set aside to be given out to families in the area.
For Goya Foods, the timing carried particular meaning. There was no better way to celebrate the company's 90th anniversary and the Puerto Rican Day Parade than by making a donation, a company representative said during the event in the borough.
The representative said the company was donating the 15,000 pounds of food in the Bronx, in District 12, and emphasised that the aim was to bring people together. The giveaway was carried out alongside District 12 administrators, teachers and the students who helped pack the food.
Organisers said the event also reflected the company's commitment to celebrating Puerto Rican culture and heritage, coming just ahead of this weekend's Puerto Rican Day Parade. The donation tied the anniversary to a broader moment of community pride across the borough.