Almost a year ago now, I officially joined Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ) as a member of the advisory board. This work thus far has taken many forms, most of which I haven't posted about. One aspect that has been especially meaningful to me has been the weekly food distribution events we did from June through September, working with a variety of partners and neighbors. Our final such event of 2020 was this past Wednesday, and truly a community effort.
Long story short, thanks to funds raised through a beautiful Empty Bowl collaboration between artist Lan Tuazon, Gnarware Workshop in Pilsen, and McKinley Park Mutual Aid, our group—with a couple dozen returning and new volunteers, of all ages!—was able to support the purchasing, assembly, and delivery of 144 (overflowing!) bags of produce and non-perishables around our broader community, both in McKinley Park and elsewhere on the South and Southwest Side.
This event—the whole collaboration—was the kind of experience that reminds me to have faith, that not all is horrible—a feeling I welcome at the close of this year. That I am surrounded by incredible people, who care and share and try and fight, in lots of different ways. <3
Image description: All photos by Alfredo Romo of N4EJ. In the top image, several volunteers move around a school cafeteria, amid hundreds of containers of different kinds of food. The bottom left image shows several assembled bags, with parts of celery, bananas, and oats popping out of them. The bags are white reusable grocery bags that read “Cermak Fresh Market.” Objects in the foreground include a copy of a holiday note to the recipient, beginning “Enjoy!”, a delivery list, and a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows in it. The bottom right image shows a volunteer (Andrés!) counting the number of bags in his full truck. Alongside the white Cermak bags are bags of potatoes and of mandarins.