Showing posts with label EV Loves NYC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EV Loves NYC. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

EV Loves NYC looks for support and a partnership with the city to aid in feeding asylum seekers

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 
Note: Faces of the asylum seekers have been blurred 

The situation at the reticketing center at the former St. Brigid School hasn't improved since the last time we visited. 

There are still almost 1,000 people being processed at the center on Seventh Street and Avenue B daily, and few shelter placements. Asylum seekers who have received their 30- or 60-day notice evicting them from their shelter wait in long lines, sometimes overnight, to be given a wristband and hopefully temporary placement or a cot assignment.

The overwhelming majority do not get placed and can opt to go to Bathgate in the Bronx, where they may be able to sleep on the floor, or, if it’s a Code Blue or weather event, a center in Gramercy, where they can stay but are only offered chairs overnight. They can also opt for oneway reticketing anywhere else in the world, but this does not seem to be a popular choice. 

Meals are also an ongoing crisis for asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, with city no-bid contract providers often offering spoiled or moldy food or items that can't be eaten by Muslims. 

Last week, The New York Times reported that DocGo, which has a $432 million no-bid contract with the city, discarded more than 70,000 uneaten meals between Oct. 22 and Nov. 22. The Post spoke with asylum seekers who said the meals — which DocGo charges the city $11 each for — were unhealthy and inedible.
"The breakfast and lunch is so cold we can't eat it, so it gets thrown in the trash," said one mother.

Mutual aid groups like the volunteer-run East Village Loves NYC have been working to provide hot meals as often as possible, with Sunday's distribution providing a choice of vegan sweet potato curry, balsamic-glazed chicken or beef meatball stew with side slaw Halal meals to just shy of 600 people at the site. Also available are hot coffee, snacks, and socks — desperately needed in the cold weather. (Although fewer than the last time I attended a distribution, many people still wore chancletas or sandals.)
Almost everyone I spoke to mentioned being hungry, often pantomiming by rubbing their stomachs and gesturing for food. In Spanish, women gathered around me and asked for help with shoes, underwear, warm clothes, blankets, or tents. 

A group of 20 women were escorted to the nearby Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C, where they were offered donated clothing.
Sasha Allenby, co-founder of East Village Loves New York, explained the numbers game of fundraising to provide food to those in need. Since the long lines at the reticketing center at St Brigid's started three weeks ago, the nonprofit has already delivered 3,300 free meals plus fruit and coffee, costing them over $10,000. 

"This would have cost the city over $40,000 considering they pay their contractors between $11 to $14 to provide a sub-par meal," Allenby said. "Since the asylum seekers began arriving last year, we've spent around $60,000 on providing free meals. We care about every asylum seeker and want to keep helping. Still, at the end of the day, we're the little guy on a shoestring budget raised by small donations from the community, and we can only continue helping if we are supported by the City."

Aside from feeding the asylum seekers on Sunday, East Village Loves NYC partnered with multiple organizations this week to help provide hungry New Yorkers with meals in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. (Find a list here.)
We contacted David Schmid, deputy commissioner of external affairs of the NYC Office of Emergency Management. He said that "the guests were extremely appreciative (as are we)" of the meals and assistance East Village Loves NYC provided. 

Schmid said they have a meeting set up with Mammad Mahmoodi, co-founder of the group, tomorrow for the city to discuss how they can continue the partnership. 

"We'll walk him through the Strengthening Communities program in the hopes that they'll apply for our next cohort in 2024," Schmid said. "In the meantime, we've also discussed using some private funds that we've raised internally to make a monetary donation to EV Loves NYC to recognize their contribution and ongoing support. It will be a modest donation for now, but we certainly want to acknowledge their incredible work while we explore how to best formalize and sustain the relationship going forward."
NYCEM Commissioner Zach Iscol mentioned the partnership in the Dec. 15 public safety update at City Hall, and you can hear his remarks about EV Loves NYC and the Strengthening Communities program around the 16:30-minute mark here

Curious about how you can help? EV Loves NYC is hosting a sock drive. Details here

Previously on EV Grieve

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

East Village Loves NYC aids asylum seekers in Midtown during Saturday's heatwave

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

On Saturday morning, a reporter covering the humanitarian crisis at the Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown asked me if anyone in the neighborhood did emergency aid crisis response. 

She mentioned witnessing hundreds of people on the sidewalk, with the heat index hovering around 100, without food or water while they waited for a spot to open up at the intake center. (All arriving asylum seekers are now processed through a centralized system, but they are no spaces available, so long lines have formed while people wait — up to several days — for a chance to get inside.) 

I contacted some mutual aid groups I'd worked with in the past, including East Village Loves NYC, and we set up a plan to provide 250 meals to people midday after being told they'd only had a "block of cheese" and a bottle of water the night before.

In less than four hours, the volunteers with EVLovesNYC prepared hundreds of meals (beef and vegan options) at their home base, the Sixth Street Community Center, and had them ready to go...
We arrived at the city's intake center at the hotel on East 45th Street. We received assistance from DocGo (the subcontractor managing the site) to hand out the halal meals, watermelon slices, chocolate croissants (courtesy of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street) and bottles of water. 

With so many people waiting (some transported to area hospitals), the city was scrambling for places to put them. The Mayor's office hoped to move people to the Port Authority while waiting for space to open up. MTA buses were brought in as emergency mobile cooling centers. 

The situation at the center was tense, and later that night, after we left, people tried to break the barrier to get inside. There isn't an end in sight, and the city repeatedly has stated they have no more room to house the influx. (City and state officials also continue to ask for assistance from the federal government.)
For information on volunteering with or donating to EVLovesNYC, visit this site.

Sunday, November 20, 2022

An early Thanksgiving today courtesy of East Village Loves NYC

Photos by Stacie Joy

Today, East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic — prepared and distributed its third-annual Thanksgiving meal citywide. (More background here.)

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the group's home base at the Sixth Street Community Center ... 
Later, several volunteers passed out Thanksgiving meals in Tompkins Square Park. (EV Loves NYC started a distribution on Sundays at 1:45 p.m. back in the summer for anyone in the neighborhood who needs food, water and health care supplies.) 

Thanksgiving meals were on the menu today... 
You may find information about volunteer opportunities here... or if you'd like to make a donation to support their work. (Link here.)

Friday, November 18, 2022

EV Loves NYC preparing for its 3rd annual Thanksgiving event for New Yorkers in need

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic — is getting ready for its third-annual Thanksgiving event, taking place this Sunday.

This year, organizers told us that they're running a cookathon on Sunday. 
We’ll be partnering with 40 organizations, and setting up stations around the city so that those who need it the most can share in our chef-made meals. Our chefs will be cooking both traditional Thanksgiving meals, as well as vegan versions of Thanksgiving meals.
Late this past summer the group started a distribution on Sundays at 1:45 p.m. in Tompkins Square Park for anyone in the neighborhood who needs food, water and health care supplies. This Sunday, they'll be in the Park sharing full Thanksgiving meals (turkey, six side dishes and pie) plus vegan versions. 

In other EV Loves NYC news, the volunteers added early morning shifts (5 to 7:30 a.m. at their HQ, the Sixth Street Community Center), for asylum seekers arriving at Port Authority. 

You may donate to the Thanksgiving meal fund here. You may find volunteer opportunities here.

In the spring of 2020, a handful of East Village friends got together to prepare meals for neighbors. Early on, Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his kitchen on Mondays for the group to cook its meals. By June 2020, they had outgrown the space and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

Eventually, the group became known as East Village Loves NYC with 1,400-plus volunteers. In year one alone, the group cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers  ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.
 

Image via @evlovesnyc

Monday, June 13, 2022

East Village Loves NYC issues a fundraising appeal to help continue feeding New Yorkers in need

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic — is on the brink of shutting down.

The group put out a last-ditch fundraising appeal on Friday — they need $36,000 to keep going from their HQ at the Sixth Street Community Center.


Some positive news: Since sounding the alarm this past Friday, EV Loves NYC has raised more than half its fundraising goal of $36,000.

From an Instagram post on Saturday:
"The support we've received from our community over the past day has been absolutely incredible. Hundreds of calls, texts, voicemails, to let us know that you refuse to see us go.

We don't want to go. We want to keep helping the city we love, while building lasting memories with you and our community. We want to continue spreading love and helping those who need it most."

You can find the GoFundMe link here.  

In the spring of 2020, a handful of friends got together to prepare meals for neighbors. Early on, Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his kitchen on Mondays for the group to cook its meals. By June 2020, they had outgrown the space and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

Eventually, the group became known as East Village Loves NYC with 1,400-plus volunteers. In year one alone, the group cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers  ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.
 

Image via @evlovesnyc

Friday, January 7, 2022

East Village Loves NYC offering free COVID-19 PCR testing once again this Sunday

For the third consecutive Sunday, East Village Loves NYC is collaborating with a mobile clinic to provide free COVID-19 PCR testing at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The testing takes place this Sunday (Jan. 9) from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You need to sign up in advance — no walk-ins. You can find the link here. 

Results from this past Sunday were returned in 24 hours. Testing is done by Alaine Diagnostics in Saddlebrook, N.J. People who signed up reported a quick and efficient system here.

East Village Loves NYC was formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic. In year one,  the volunteers — 400 strong — cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

Friday, December 31, 2021

East Village Loves NYC offering free COVID-19 PCR testing on Sunday

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic — is collaborating with a mobile clinic to provide free COVID-19 PCR testing at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

The next testing comes this Sunday (Jan. 2) from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. You need to sign up in advance — no walk-ins. You can find the link here. The testing is open to the first 200 registrants.
The first testing took place here this past Sunday. Organizers invited EVG contributor Stacie Joy to stop by...
Results from Sunday were returned in less than 48 hours. Testing is done by Alaine Diagnostics in Saddlebrook, N.J. (This link lists the city's free testing sites via NYC Health + Hospitals.) In its first year, East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

Friday, September 24, 2021

Help East Village Loves NYC feed 10,000 people in 3 days

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group formed in the spring of 2020 to feed people in need during the pandemic — has laid out ambitious plans for a pre-Thanksgiving event: to prepare meals for 10,000 New Yorkers over three days.
Details via Instagram...
We are holding our biggest and boldest event ever! For our EARLY THANKSGIVING COOKATHON, we’re planning to feed 10k people! Our Love Kitchen will be running full steam three days in a row: October 23, 24 and 25! 

Want to get involved in the most ambitious event of the year? Visit evloves.nyc/thanksgiving and help us raise enough to make this happen!

Volunteer slots will open on October 1, stay tuned!

In its first year, East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

East Village Loves NYC issues a fundraising appeal to help continue feeding New Yorkers in need

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group that formed last spring to feed people in need during the pandemic — has put a fundraising appeal to help keep them preparing meals for New Yorkers this year.

Via a recent Instagram post:
Truth is, we haven’t been able to raise enough funds to safely continue helping the city we love until the end of 2021. At this pace, we'll have to shut our doors by the end of the summer. Times are tough, the city needs us, and we worry that we won't be able to respond to the growing ask for help.

So if you are in a position to help, and only if you are in a position to help, we ask that you please consider financially supporting us this year, and by doing so, knowing that you will be feeding tens, hundreds, thousands of New Yorkers who need it most.
You can read more about helping at this link

In addition, Sougwen Chung, a Chinese-Canadian artist, created a piece of virtual art that she is selling as an NFT. She will be donating 100 percent of the funds to East Village Loves NYC. (Details here.)

As Gothamist reported yesterday, the need for emergency food resources remains high in the city:
As vaccination rates rise and the city approaches a full reopening, hunger may no longer be top of mind for many New Yorkers. But those working in food banks and pantries say demand is still much higher than it was before the pandemic, especially among groups that were already more vulnerable.
East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — celebrated its first anniversary earlier this spring ... and in those first 12 months, the group has cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

As they noted on Instagram:
What started with our team of five or six friends doing a cooking session to help their neighborhood, turned into a massive family of hundreds of volunteers gathering every week to deliver thousands of meals to New York City.
Early on, Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his space on Mondays for the group to cook its meals. By last June, they had outgrown the space and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Volunteers at East Village Loves NYC prepare meal for Ramadan; celebrate 1st anniversary

East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group that formed last spring to feed people in need during the pandemic — is continuing to make meals and celebrating the multiple religious holidays of New Yorkers

For Ramadan, the volunteers collaborated on an interfaith dinner. Per the group's website: "In Islam, there is a concept called Iftar. It occurs during Ramadan, and it's a time where Muslims all over the world serve free food so that people from all walks of life can eat together."

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C the other day as the volunteers prepped the meals that went to five mosques in the Bronx and one on Long Island...
East Village Loves NYC — which has attracted some 400 volunteers — recently celebrated its first anniversary.... and in that time, has cooked more than 100,000 meals for New Yorkers during the pandemic ... not to mention donated 325,000-plus pounds of groceries and 7,000-plus pantry bags.

As they noted on Instagram:
What started with our team of five or six friends doing a cooking session to help their neighborhood, turned into a massive family of hundreds of volunteers gathering every week to deliver thousands of meals to New York City.
Early on, Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his space on Mondays for the group to cook its meals. By last June, they had outgrown the space and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center. By the end of the summer, East Village Loves Queens expanded operations and announced its new name — East Village Loves NYC. 

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

East Village Loves NYC prepares 1st holiday feast; tops more than 70,000 meals made for hungry New Yorkers in 2020

This past Sunday, East Village Loves NYC — the local volunteer group that formed in the spring to feed people in need during the pandemic — prepared its first holiday meal. 

At the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C, the East Village residents cooked and delivered 3,000 high-quality Mexican Halal meals to 17 organizations around the city.

The group is currently working with the crowdfunding platform ioby (an acronym for In Our Backyard) to raise money to feed low-income Black communities in Harlem and Queens that have been hit hard by the pandemic. (This project is eligible for up to $8,000 in match funding through ioby's NYC COVID-19 Just Recovery Match Fund. Find the crowdfunding page here.)

On Sunday, EVG contributor Stacie Joy documented the group's holiday food preparation ... as East Village Loves NYC has assembled more than 70,000 meals on the year...


This team of East Village volunteers formed in April (as Stacie documented in the links below). Early on, Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his space on Mondays for the group to cook its meals ... while there, they were able to prepare up to 800 meals and 100 family-size pantry packs.

By June, they had outgrown the space, and started assembling deliveries at the Sixth Street Community Center. 
By the end of the summer, East Village Loves Queens expanded its operations and announced its new name — East Village Loves NYC. 

Find out more about the group and how to donate at this link. Follow them on Instagram here.

Monday, August 10, 2020

East Village Loves Queens expands: Meet East Village Loves NYC



East Village Loves Queens continues to expand its operations to serve New Yorkers in need. This past weekend, the local residents who formed the volunteer group announced a new name, East Village Loves NYC, and a broader mission.

Here's part of their message via Instagram:

Four months ago, when this project began, our goal was to provide direct help to Queens, a community hit really bad by the pandemic. We cooked, week after week, and partnered with the amazing @hungrymonknyc to deliver over 30,000 meals to New Yorkers in need. We promised ourselves to continue working and helping our city for as long as we are needed. What we thought would last only a few weeks turned out to be much more than just a temporary project.

Fast forward 15 weeks later, and we are still here, stronger than ever, and now, we’ve got even greater plans for the city we love. Make no mistake, Queens is leaving our name, but not our hearts. Queens will always be part of our DNA, of our history. We will 100% continue helping Queens for as long as we exist!

The idea behind the name change is to show that we are now planning to serve our city as a whole, and not just part of it. Our operation is now larger and with the amazing support of our community, we are dreaming big: dreams of an organization that can lend a helping hand to all communities across the city, whether it is to cook, to paint, or to learn new languages, to play soccer, basketball or to dance together, or simply to be here and listen, when someone needs to share — dreams of a city where togetherness is what matters most.

It’s simple: we want to build bridges.

Friends, we’re EV❤️NYC, and it’s so nice to meet you! We can’t wait to show you what’s next.

This team of East Village volunteers started in late April (as EVG contributor Stacie Joy documented here). Ali Sahin, the owner of C&B Cafe on Seventh Street near Avenue B, donated his space on Mondays for the group to cook its meals for donation ... while there, they were able to prepare up to 800 meals and 100 family-size pantry packs.

By June, they had outgrown the space, and started assembling meals at the Sixth Street Community Center between Avenue B and Avenue C. In addition, the group branched out to supply meals to individuals and families living in the East Village.

And now, they have their sights on NYC.


[Photo from May by Stacie Joy]

Find out more about the group and how to donate at this link. Follow them on Instagram here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
These East Village residents are helping feed families in Queens during the COVID-19 crisis

East Village volunteers expand their outreach to feed more neighbors in need