[ti:Jobless Woman Helps Feed Thousands in New York] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A New York woman who lost her job [00:03.40]is using some of her free time [00:06.24]to help feed thousands of people in her community. [00:11.36]Sofia Moncayo leads a group of volunteers [00:16.80]who give out food to those in need in a neighborhood in Queens. [00:22.52]On a recent rainy day, a large crowd lined up outside [00:28.28]the Mosaic West Queens Church to receive free food. [00:33.88]The team members helping Moncayo were wet, cold and tired. [00:40.60]Some lifted heavy food containers [00:44.04]while others separated items and removed snow from the street. [00:49.84]Moncayo led her team in prayer. [00:54.12]"We're super grateful for these people here. [00:57.88]In Jesus' name we pray," she said. [01:01.80]The group around her then cheered and added: "Amen." [01:07.80]"Now," Moncayo said, "let's get to work." [01:12.20]The helpers receive no money, but said they were just happy [01:17.96]to be there for someone else that day. [01:21.48]Moncayo has led the food assistance program [01:25.64]during the coronavirus pandemic. [01:29.24]It launched in March and she took charge of the effort a month later. [01:35.88]The program currently serves hundreds of people. [01:40.72]Moncayo has faced her own struggles during the pandemic. [01:46.28]She was let go from her job at a building company [01:50.12]and remains unemployed. [01:53.52]She also has a martial arts business with her husband [01:57.84]that has suffered financial difficulties. [02:01.60]But she has continued to raise money in the community [02:06.36]and lead the effort to provide more than 1,000 boxes of food [02:12.12]to families two times per week. [02:15.84]"I think helping others has to do something to your brain chemically [02:21.52]because if we had not been doing everything that we're doing, [02:26.00]I think this would have been a much scarier time," Moncayo said. [02:32.28]"Being able to dig in and help others, [02:35.96]it really gives you perspective [02:38.48]and helps you believe that you're going to be OK too," she added. [02:44.44]Most of the food is donated by a neighborhood restaurant [02:49.32]and other businesses and organizations. [02:53.76]There has also been help from the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, [02:59.72]which is run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. [03:04.72]Moncayo, who was born in Colombia, [03:08.08]said she was moved to volunteer by her Christian faith, [03:13.08]as well as her own experiences with food insecurity while growing up in New York. [03:21.20]She noted that she used to join her family [03:24.56]in lines to pick up bread and cheese from food programs. [03:29.92]Sometimes she said she felt ashamed. [03:34.20]"One of the things that we wanted to make sure [03:38.00]is that we don't look at people on the pantry line [03:41.92]as people that need food, and really focus on, [03:46.24]‘hey, these are our neighbors.'" [03:49.32]Neighborhood resident Carol Sullivan lost her job as a stage manager [03:56.16]when New York theaters closed because of the pandemic. [04:01.04]At first, she was not sure about receiving food from a pantry, [04:06.44]but she said Moncayo and the other volunteers made her feel welcome. [04:12.88]"It has been a link to the community that I didn't have before. [04:18.48]And it also saves a lot of anxiety [04:22.04]over having to have money to pay for food [04:25.40]over having to pay for the bills," Sullivan said. [04:30.60]"If you have a dollar, [04:32.40]you have to stretch it in so many places. [04:35.84]Having them has made the choice less stressful." [04:40.44]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM