Pelham Parkway food pantry that serves thousands weekly asks public for help

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The Open Hand Association has been feeding about 2,000 Bronx residents every week, but it says it needs commercial-size refrigerators. Manager Oscar Gildemeister says perishables, like milk and chicken, have to be served within hours, limiting their ability to feed more. The Open Hand Association has tried getting by with large coolers, but Gildemeister says commercial refrigerators would allow the pantry to serve more of the food they receive. Gildemeister says he’s had to throw food away in recent weeks that the pantry wasn’t able to keep fresh. "