Big Joe the Forklift, and Other Uplifting Tales

Jun 23, 2023

The Neediest Cases Fund

Grants to New York organizations assist in bringing meals and winter coats, as well as support literacy.

Ivy Brown and Fabian Currie at Morrisania Revitalization Corporation in the Bronx. A new forklift, nicknamed Big Joe, has drastically cut unloading time at its food pantry.Credit...Ben Grieme for The New York Times

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By Maia Coleman

This article is part of a series recounting the stories of people who received help from nonprofit organizations supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund.

On a recent, drizzly Wednesday morning, Fabian Currie stood in an alleyway behind the food pantry at the Morrisania Revitalization Corporation, a nonprofit organization in the Bronx, looking at a bright blue forklift.

On the sidewalk, Morrisania's outdoor pantry operation was in full swing. Visitors carrying reusable bags collected apples, carrots and pineapples from pallets stacked high on the sidewalk. A growing line of customers stretched around the corner and down the block — a small crowd by opening-time standards, said Mr. Currie, a pantry volunteer since 2019.

Mr. Currie was planning to haul a stack of pallets of onions to the pantry area with the help of a crucial new player on the team. "That is what makes life easier for me," said Mr. Currie, motioning warmly to the Morrisania forklift, or, as he affectionately calls it, Big Joe.

Donate now to the 111th annual campaign of The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. All proceeds go to organizations providing assistance to those facing economic hardship. Make a tax-deductible donation through GoFundMe.