Friday, April 10, 2020

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

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is wonderful! Thank you to everyone who is helping neighbor to neighbor!

Unknown said...

This is awesome. I applaud their efforts!

Gojira said...

I have to work from home M-F 9-5:30 so am not able to help them on their weekday deliveries. I did get to help out on one weekend one, but they seem to have abandoned those, much to my disappointment. If they do them again, I'll be back with my "old lady wheelie cart" to load up and schlep.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! This is what love & neighborliness look like. Blessings to all who helped make this happen.

Sarah said...

This is satisfying work and I recommend it to everyone (who's feeling absolutely healthy, of course)! Really makes you feel like you're helping out the EV/LES neighborhood.

Unknown said...

Thank you for supporting community! God bless all of you helping!