Donated Fruit Helps Build Community in New York City

Imagine stepping onto the street in New York City’s Washington Heights, a vibrant neighborhood known for its rich culture, mix of languages, and deep sense of community. Bodegas run by generations of Dominican families anchor busy corners, children spill out of schools, and neighbors greet each other like family. In this close-knit community, many residents are supported—directly or indirectly—by Community League of the Heights (CLOTH).

CLOTH is a nonprofit that empowers Washington Heights’ low-income residents by helping them break the cycle of poverty, with a little help from donors like The FruitGuys. 

With support from our customers, we donated 4,603 pounds of fresh produce to CLOTH in 2024 through our weekly donations and Donate-a-Crate program!

Jon Paul Dyson, who directs CLOTH’s PS 4 after-school program and helps manage its food pantry, told us fresh fruit is a small but important part of how CLOTH builds community. 

Nourishing Parents and Students with Donated Fruit

Washington Heights is a lively multicultural neighborhood, but it has a history of economic challenges. More than 17% of its residents live below the poverty line compared to about 11% nationwide. Since 1952, CLOTH has helped those residents stay strong and united in the face of adversity. It runs after-school programs and extracurricular activities for 400 students, feeds 450 families per week through its food pantry, and offers services like job training and low-income housing. 

Every week, The FruitGuys donates two boxes of apples and bananas to CLOTH’s headquarters on West 157th Street. Jon Paul and his team unpack the fruit, then offer it for free in the PS 4 after-school program’s Parent Resources Center.

“Parents come in to do resume writing or for sit-downs with teachers,” Jon Paul explained. “Our parent coordinator runs the room and identifies people who need the food, and then the parents are allowed to take as much as they want. When school is over, we give what’s left to our evening program participants. The fruit doesn’t stay with us longer than eight hours—it goes right out.” 

How One Bunch of Bananas Makes a Difference

Fresh fruit from The FruitGuys nourishes and energizes CLOTH’s parents and students. That little boost might help them craft a winning job application or master a new phrase in English. More importantly, according to Jon Paul, it helps them feel welcome, supported, and valued. 

“The school is the grand central station of the families we serve, and that’s where we do most of our relationship-building,” Jon Paul said. “The goal of the program is to fill the void of whatever students and parents need in regard to self-confidence and self-esteem. We want them to be competitive and socially dynamic, and we also want to reinforce their academic journeys.” 

He added, “Honestly, if you’re teaching and enhancing life, you should accompany that by giving out food that does the same thing.” 

An Impact That Lasts for Generations

CLOTH serves the entire Washington Heights community, from grandparents relying on its food pantry to their grandchildren receiving tutoring and learning to fence after school. It creates a sense of community that empowers people like Jon Paul to stay and give back to their neighborhood.

“I’m a product of the program. I was in an after-school program as a kid, and CLOTH has been a part of almost my whole life—definitely my whole adult life,” Jon Paul said. “It’s a passion. I guess I’m paying it forward.” 

A Fruitful Partnership 

Here at The FruitGuys, we’re proud to support CLOTH and what Jon Paul calls its “ecosystem of community” with our weekly donations. 

“Each order FruitGuys clients place creates a ripple of good, helping us deliver fresh fruit every week to partners like CLOTH. It may seem small, but together those ripples add up to lasting impact for families across the neighborhood,” said FruitGuys Head of Impact Sheila Cassani. 

Our generous clients in New York City have also donated fruit to CLOTH directly through our Donate-a-Crate program. We make it easy to “fruit it forward” and turn your office’s fruit and snack deliveries into donations. It’s a great solution if your office closes for the holidays (or you just want to help your neighbors). 

To learn how to join Donate-a-Crate and support a hunger relief organization near you, visit our Giving page. We’d love to help make your corporate giving easy and impactful.