Not only is the access to food vital during
these times, but the quality of what
families are consuming is important as
well. As individuals and chefs, the couple
is conscientious about where they source
food. Calichio and Bravo-Pavia purchase
grocery items from farms within a twohour
radius from Queens and even
receive donations from local vendors.
They pack boxes with fruits, vegetables,
milk and eggs, but also food that won’t
go bad within a week like pasta, beans,
lentils and bread.
“Where your food comes from is really
important. We want to show that
the better our sense of connection to
food is, the better the world is going
DECEMBER 2 0 2 0 I BOROMAG.COM 15
Calichio and Bravo-Pavia witnessed
many friends, family and neighbors
lose work and income due to COVID
19. Many local families couldn’t
access basic needs such as food. The
Astoria couple realized they could help
solve this problem through their existing
organization by creating a new Lifeline
Grocery program. They harnessed
the community and their professional
cooking skills to assemble boxes of local
food to deliver to families in need in
western Queens and beyond.
“We care for people through food.
We had friends and family who needed
our support. It made sense for us to create
grocery packages and make sure
they can stay inside and have food to
eat,” Calichio said.
When The Connected Chef started
its Lifeline Grocery program in March,
Calichio and Bravo-Pavia galvanized
volunteers through Astoria Mutual Aid,
NY Cares, In It Together and The Connected
Chef’s network and their employees
to prepare and deliver food
packages.
In its first week, the couple and
their volunteers began by prepping
30 food packages for families. The
initiative grew swiftly; now, The Connected
Chef is delivering over 2,000
a week, and the organization is also
beginning to help food pantries deliver
to their sites.
/BOROMAG.COM
