East Village Neighbors lend helping hands to Vision Urbana to assist local residents in need

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, newly formed mutual aid group East Village Neighbors, in conjunction with Invisible Hands, teamed up to help deliver food to East Village and Lower East Side seniors and low-income residents through Vision Urbana’s food pantry initiative.

I tagged along recently as a dozen volunteers arrived at the makeshift command center in Seward Park to help Vision Urbana’s director, Eric Diaz, get food to 150 families and individuals.



















This is only one of ways that East Village Neighbors has been helping out in recent weeks, a list that includes assistance with shopping, deliveries, and/or matching those in need with services and goods available via other resources.

"This effort is as much about our volunteers as it is about who we are helping," longtime resident and East Village Neighbors founder Diane Hatz told me. "We’re in uncharted times right now, and no one knows what the aftereffects of the daily anxiety and isolation gripping so many of us will be, so I thought bringing the community together might help in more ways than one."

Interested in helping out? Volunteers can sign up via this form.

If you need assistance, you can fill out this help-request form, email EastVillageNeighbors@gmail.com or call 917-994-1074.

You can learn more about — and support — Vision Urbana at this link.



Previously on EV Grieve:
East Village Neighbors here to help during the coronavirus outbreak