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vice to Queens families, and we are
actively seeking to expand the program
to include more recipients.”
The partnership took shape in a
week, after Brighter Bites reached
out to Queens Together for help.
Brighter Bites' regular distribution
of fresh produce to families in
Queens was no more due to the closure
of schools amid the COVID-19
crisis.
By April 24, Queens Together —
which was originally created by Bean
and chef Jonathan Forgash to feed
frontline workers while helping local
restaurants stay in business — created
a grassroots solution with The
Connected Chef to provide 2,000
marginalized families with fresh
produce. At the same time, they're
re-employing restaurant workers to
pack produce and make deliveries.
A few weeks prior, The Connected
Chef, founded by Astoria-based
chef Kim Calichio, began their own
initiative, Lifeline Grocery Delivery,
to serve fresh produce to vulnerable
families in Queens.
"When I started The Connected
Chef, I knew I wanted to use food to
bring people together. Community
has always been at the heart of our
mission," Calichio said. "What feels
so right about this collaboration
with Queens Together and Brighter
Bites is that they understand the importance
of community connection.
That's why this work is so powerful
— it involves so many levels of engagement
in a time when we all feel
disconnected. And we're doing that
with food. It's quite beautiful."
It's because of The Connected
Chef's experience with local food
purveyors and delivery systems for
families in need that Queens Together
knew they needed to become
partners.
Their distribution began on Tuesday,
April 28, from the Plaxall Gallery warehouse
in Long Island City. Assemblywoman
Aravella Simotas joined them
as they set up.
"It is so great to see my neighbors
live in the spirit of public service,"
Simotas said. “Queens Together, The
Connected Chef and Brighter Bites
are true examples of neighbors helping
neighbors. As the novel coronavirus
advances, food justice is more
crucial now than ever. It is inspiring
to witness the sense of community
and solidarity that New Yorkers continuously
exhibit in difficult times."
To learn more about the effort, visit
www.queenstogether.org.
/www.queenstogether.org
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/www.queenstogether.org
