By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

For Elijah Gonzalez, boxing has been a part of life for as long as he can remember.

The 19-year-old Coney Island resident grew up around the sport through his father, who spent years inside boxing gyms and introduced him to the discipline at a young age. What started as time spent watching and learning quickly turned into a passion that now drives the young fighter’s daily routine.

“My father grew up in a boxing gym,” Gonzalez said. “I tried a whole bunch of different activities and sports, and I just grew up in the gym with him. I picked a liking toward it. I started fighting and got really good.”

Today, Gonzalez splits his training between several gyms across the boroughs but considers Universal Boxing Gym in Middle Village Queens his home base, where he works closely with his coaches and teammates.

“This is my home,” Gonzalez said. “I have a few gyms I go to for sparring, but Universal Boxing Gym is my home. It’s a little crazy ride from Coney Island, but it’s worth it. This is family over here.”

Gonzalez first stepped into a boxing gym at age seven while living in Pennsylvania. Training alongside his father, he began learning the fundamentals before eventually catching the attention of a coach who saw potential in the young fighter.

After several years of training, Gonzalez stepped into the ring for his first amateur bout at age 10 in Philadelphia, winning the match and quickly building momentum.

A few months later, he entered the Sugar Bert Nationals tournament, where he fought three consecutive days and emerged with his first championship belt.

“It was really fun and exciting, especially the environment,” Gonzalez said. “I saw a whole bunch of kids in different weight classes and all the different talents. It’s a different feeling when you wake up early, weigh in with everybody and then fight. Winning that and coming home with my first belt was an amazing moment.”

From there, Gonzalez continued competing in amateur bouts, traveling to regional and national competitions while facing increasingly experienced opponents.

Eventually, he and his father relocated to Brooklyn, seeking stronger competition and better training opportunities in New York City’s boxing scene.

“My dad grew up in a boxing gym over here,” Gonzalez said. “We came here for the coaches he worked with, to get better sparring and see different gyms. We heard about this gym and Coach Mo, and we came here and started working.

At Universal Boxing Gym, Gonzalez trains with a tight-knit group of fighters, including fellow professionals and longtime teammates.

“Everybody here grinds together,” he said. “It’s brotherly love. Coach Mo, Danny Gonzalez, my father, everybody pushes each other. It’s like another home to me.”

His training routine reflects the discipline required to compete at the professional level. Strength and conditioning sessions include treadmill work, resistance bands and medicine ball drills, while sparring sessions twice a week allow fighters to sharpen their skills inside the ring.

But the work doesn’t stop once Gonzalez leaves the gym.

“All year round I’m making sure to eat right,” he said. “Of course I have snacks here and there, but I’m always running and staying in shape so when I come back after a fight I still feel good.

Discipline, he said, has been one of the most important lessons boxing has taught him.

“Discipline is doing things without being asked,” Gonzalez said. “When I was younger my father would wake me up to go run, and sometimes I didn’t want to do it. But over time you build that inside yourself. You learn to wake up early, eat healthy and stay focused.”

Dieting, he admits, is often the hardest part of preparing for a fight.

“I love eating food,” he said with a laugh. “When I’m in camp we weigh everything, four strong meals a day, lots of water, no snacks in between. My dad cooks my food for the week so I can maintain my weight.”

That strict preparation has been in place for months as Gonzalez readies himself for his next professional bout.

He is scheduled to fight April 10 at the Prudential Center in Newark on a major fight card, a step up that he believes reflects both his hard work and the strength of his support team.

“I’ve been working really hard,” Gonzalez said. “I had a two-month camp for this fight. Everything I’ve been going through with the training and the food, I’m going to put it all in that fight.”

The bout is expected to draw family and friends from across New York and New Jersey, many eager to watch the young fighter continue building his career.

“I have a lot of family and friends coming,” he said. “They love to come out and support.”

After the fight, Gonzalez already has a simple plan.

“I’ve been craving a big cheeseburger and some pancakes,” he said. “After the fight I’ll hang out with my family and celebrate my sister’s birthday. Then it’s right back to work.”

Despite his growing confidence and early success, Gonzalez says he remains focused on improvement and the long road ahead.

For young athletes considering boxing, he says perseverance is key.

“No matter how hard the work is, you have to keep pushing forward,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a rocky road and it’s really tiring sometimes, but you have to stay focused and dedicated. You have to see your dreams in the future and know you can be great if you keep putting in the work.”

And on April 10, the Brooklyn boxer hopes to prove just how far that work has taken him.

Poll Shows Growing Food Insecurity Across Queens and Brooklyn

By MOHAMED FARGHALY

mfarghaly@queensledger.com

A growing number of New Yorkers are struggling to afford food as prices continue to climb, forcing many households to choose between groceries and basic expenses like rent, utilities, and transportation, according to a new poll commissioned by No Kid Hungry.

The survey, conducted in February by Aspect Strategic, found that 67 percent of New Yorkers said they had to choose between buying enough nutritious food and other household necessities over the past year. In Queens, the financial strain appeared particularly pronounced. Nearly two-thirds of residents, 65 percent, reported making those trade-offs, while 71 percent said their financial situation worsened due to rising food costs.

Advocates say the findings mirror what families are experiencing across New York City neighborhoods, including Queens and Brooklyn, where the rising price of groceries is colliding with already high housing and transportation costs.

“These findings make clear that families across New York are struggling to keep up with rising food costs and are making impossible choices between groceries and other basic needs,” said Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York. “No child should go hungry in our state. New Yorkers overwhelmingly agree that we need strong, effective food assistance programs and bipartisan action to ensure every child has the food they need to learn, grow and thrive.”

In Queens, 40 percent of residents said they have taken on more debt in the past year because of the cost of food. Citywide, the problem is even more widespread, with 52 percent of New York City residents reporting they accrued additional debt over the same period.

Sabella said the stories behind those numbers show how households are stretching their budgets in increasingly difficult ways.

“Two thirds of Queens families with children told us that they had to make difficult decisions. Do they pay their rent or do they buy food?” Sabella said. “These are unfathomable choices for families. It’s devastating that they’re faced with this right now.”

Across the city, many residents are cutting back on fresh and protein-rich foods because of the cost, opting instead for cheaper staples that can stretch further.

“I see people when they are at the register, and you can see they are waiting to see what the price of something is, and then sometimes they are putting it back on the shelf because of the cost,” Sabella said. “Especially hard are families telling us when it comes to protein and fresh produce and those healthy items.”

The survey also found that rising food prices are affecting more than just household finances. In New York City, 78 percent of residents said their financial health suffered due to food costs, while 60 percent reported impacts on their mental health and 54 percent said their physical health had been affected.

Families of color reported facing the greatest strain. Statewide, 87 percent of Black families and 84 percent of Latino families said they had to choose between buying nutritious food and paying for other basic needs.

Sabella said hunger often remains invisible in communities like Queens, where economic hardship can be hidden behind the appearance of stability.

“We often say that hunger hides in plain sight,” she said. “Three quarters of families in New York are making trade offs each day in order to afford food for their families. That’s somebody that lives next door, somebody whose child is in school with yours.”

The poll also found broad public support for federal food assistance programs. Sixty-two percent of New Yorkers said they oppose cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including 52 percent who strongly oppose them. In New York City, opposition to cuts to food assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC, and Summer EBT reached 77 percent.

Advocates say those programs are especially important as federal lawmakers debate the next federal farm bill, which determines funding levels and rules for SNAP.

“As the cost of food continues to rise, these programs are critical to helping families put food on the table,” Sabella said. “When we talk about SNAP, it supports families but it also supports the local economy.”

Local grocery stores and bodegas in neighborhoods across Queens and Brooklyn rely heavily on SNAP spending, she added, with some businesses reporting that as much as 70 percent of their monthly revenue comes from SNAP purchases.

For many residents, the financial pressure is already showing up in everyday decisions about how to pay for groceries. One Brooklyn resident who responded to the poll said they have begun relying more on credit cards to cover food costs while completing a college degree.

“As of six months ago I’ve started using more credit to pay for my food and meal purchases and have been alternating between two cards in order to have more time to pay them off,” the resident said. “Credit card debt is not ideal but at least I am able to feed myself to continue working full time as I earn my Bachelor’s degree.”

The poll surveyed 1,512 New Yorkers from Feb. 3 to Feb. 10 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Despite the challenges highlighted in the findings, Sabella said the survey also shows widespread agreement among New Yorkers that hunger should be addressed collectively.

“More than 90 percent of respondents said solving child hunger should be a bipartisan solution,” she said. “New Yorkers don’t see this as a political issue. They see it as a moral issue.”

NYPD and FDNY players went head-to-head in a spirited volleyball match at Maspeth High School Gym, turning the Queens gym into a hub of energy, community pride, and friendly rivalry.

By Christian Spencer

The NYPD is the winner of the fifth annual Battle of the Badges against the FDNY that drew fans on Saturday, March 21.

Doors at the Maspeth High School Gym opened around 4 p.m. for a pregame ceremony honoring fallen first responders.

Supporters filled the gym with anticipation, cheering loudly as officers and firefighters competed while raffles, music, and refreshments added to the lively atmosphere.

Tickets suggested a $10 donation, with proceeds benefiting the FDNY Widows and Children’s Fund and the NYPD Police and Fire Widows and Orphans Fund.

Kresimir Mustac, a phys ed teacher and basketball coach who announced the event, offered a view from the scores table in the midst of the halftime of the game.

“I think it’s good. I’m watching the game from the scores table, so I got a really good… The view of what’s going on, right now, it’s a toss-up,” he said. “I think, honestly, I think the FDNY got a wild card player in their back pocket, and I think he’s showing out really in the next two sets. I think they’re going to win this one.”

“I think that’s the biggest thing. I think it’s about unity. I think it’s about bringing a community together for a good cause and great volleyball action,” Mustac said. “All the proceeds to this event go to the PBA Widows’ and Children’s Fund.”

The PBA Widows’ and Children’s Fund – specifically the FDNY Widows and Children’s Fund and the NYPD Police and Fire Widows and Orphans Fund – provides financial assistance and support to widows, widowers, and eligible dependents of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

FDNY coach and organizer Gerry Matacotta praised the day.

“I thought it was a great match. One of the best matches we’ve ever played with them. And it was an exciting match. And the event worked out 100 percent. We had Councilman [Bill] Wong here. We had the color guard. It was a great, great event for this community,” he said. “It’s a community event. The fans, everybody is one, and the backing of the police and fire departments is very important in a community. These guys work hard. They don’t get a lot of kudos, and this is one way of doing it, to make sure that they have a way to have fun and also that they see the community backing them up.”

Volleyball official Andrew Wilder Batiuk broke down the action. “FDNY won the first two sets,” he said. “The PD was in better shape and just outlasted the FDNY because you noticed they had a very deep bench, whereas FDNY only had three subs on the bench. So I think that was the difference.” On the meaning behind the event, Batiuk said.

“You can have competing services come together to actually compete in an athletic format. It’s a wonderful thing. It gets the community involved. And it’s a nice day of sports for just about anybody who wants to show up.” His observation captures the energy and excitement that resonates beyond the gym.

NYPD officer Malcolm Brissett-Ortiz, president of the NYPD volleyball team, pointed out why the tournament matters for morale.

“Regardless of who wins and loses. We do, we host these games for the police and children. We started hosting this game for our fallen officers and first responders, I would say, from the FD, from the police department as well,” he said.

Ortiz continued, “That, at the end of the day, I want everybody to understand that outside of uniform, we are also people. We live within the community, we work in the community. We [are] here for them. So we just want to say that don’t just look at the uniform, also look at the person behind the uniform.”

As Queens Ledger previously reported, the NYPD is on a winning streak, having won the fourth annual event.

The promotion for the event was depicted as an epic showdown, a fight for New York as it were. FDNY on the blazing red left, with a firefighter holding an axe, and cool blue for NYPD on the right, with an officer holding a rifle. The colors were used to distinguish the opposing teams.

But as Ortiz put it, “Don’t just look at the uniform; also look at the person behind it.”