New Yorkers scramble for free eggs

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of people lined up Friday morning at three sites in New York City, some arriving more than an hour early, for the opportunity to snag one of the nation's hottest commodities: a dozen free eggs.

People were bundled up against the windy cold as they stood outside a Harlem restaurant, patiently waiting to be handed a carton. Less than 10 minutes later, the 100 cartons were gone, leaving many empty-handed.

“I heard from the news that they will be giving around, like, 1,500 eggs, or something like that. OK? And I just came because I needed some eggs, and then I’m waiting here in the line, and I don’t see anything,” said Jackeline Tejava, who was in a line that stretched around the block. “They say that the eggs are gone, but it hasn’t been not even more than 20 people, so I don’t know what happened.”

Egg prices hit a record high last month as the U.S. contends with a bird flu outbreak, which has forced poultry farms to slaughter more than 168 million birds since 2022.

Trying to find eggs on grocery store shelves in New York City can be hit or miss. When they are in stock, they can be pricey.

Friday’s giveaway was organized by FarmerJawn, a 128-acre (52-hectare) Pennsylvania farm that’s focused on providing organic food to underserved communities. FarmerJawn held other egg giveaways Friday in Brooklyn and Queens. The group also handed out free cartons in New York last month.

“We’re doing this egg giveaway because, as food producers, we believe it’s our responsibility to support the communities that support us,” the group said in a written statement. It partnered with a local butchery and a upstate New York farm to organize Friday’s events.

“Food is medicine, and everyone - especially the often-forgotten middle class - deserves access to it,” Farmerjawn said.

Other organizations, including churches, have recently held egg giveaways in New York and elsewhere around the country, including Las Vegas, Chicago, Philadelphia and Richland County, South Carolina.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects egg prices to rise 41% this year over last year’s average of $3.17 per dozen. A carton of eggs in New York City can often run twice or three times that amount, depending on the store.

Marion Johnson, who waited more than two hours at the Harlem giveaway but didn't get a free carton, said she can't afford eggs.

“They're so expensive,” she said. “This is not fair. ... They know everybody gonna be on line like this.”