16
Caribbean Life, Mar. 31-Apr. 6, 2022
Caribbean Equality Project continues food justice campaign
By Tangerine Clarke
Members of the Queens-based
Caribbean Equality Project, (CEP)
headed by founder, Mohamed Q.
Amin, continued its every third Saturday
food justice initiative at the
intersection of Parkside and Ocean
avenues in Brooklyn, on March 26,
to satisfy the needs of residents who
continue to experience food insecurity
during the Omicron pandemic.
Tables were laden with Caribbean
staples of potatoes onions,
carrots, beans, pasta, and canned
goods of tuna and salmon, as well
as facemasks, toiletries, socks, and
resource brochures to educate residents
about the coronavirus, medical
benefits, vaccination, and community
outreaches that are available
to them.
Amin, also the executive director
of (CEP), a non-profit advocating for
Caribbean LGBTQ voices in NYC,
praised volunteers whose work helps
to highlight the immigrant rights
organization, more so, during the
coronavirus pandemic.
He said for the past two years
the organization has been hosting
COVID-19 relief and resilient food
justice programs, every third Saturday
of every month.
“We’ve been hosting a monthly
pantry at Parkside Plaza right here
in the heart of Little Caribbean,
which is promoted via social media,”
he said.
“This is Little Caribbean. Every
single Caribbean diaspora lives in
Brooklyn. This is the Lefferts Gardens
area and we’ve been hosting
this pantry and providing fresh produce,
healthy meals and fresh groceries
to our community members,
and as you can see, it’s culturally
responsive,” he said.
“Our community members are
getting items that they would go
and spend money on since many of
our community members are still
experiencing food insecurity.”
“It’s been two years since we’ve
been recovering but we’re still navigating.
We’re still seeing an increase
in COVID cases particularly from
the new variant and because of that
we are providing at home antigen
test,” said the advocate.
“Our community members are
also making vaccination appointments
for residents. If you don’t
have your vaccination and you need
to get a booster shot, we’re making
appointments for your booster,”
advised Amin.
The community advocate, who
traveled from Richmond Hill,
Queens, said his outreaches meet
residents in three boroughs.
“I often say that the Caribbean
Equality Project work is Caribbean
centric locally, in Caribbean
neighborhoods, that include Little
Guyana in Queens, Little Caribbean
in Brooklyn on Parkside, and
Soundview Avenue in the Bronx.
We do this work in three boroughs
because we know all three boroughs
are experiencing food insecurity
and of course, it’s been two years
since we’ve been in this pandemic
and there’s still a great need in every
community.”
He said the need is great in every
borough he goes to primarily because
“we organize our pantries and serve
our community with love, and with
abundance, and we provide food that
community members can save, and
refrigerate and mix into different
meals that they already have.”
“We also collect our community
members information so when we
have these pantries, we send out text
messages, and emails, letting communities
Founder, Executive Director of Caribbean Equality Project, Mohamed
Q. Amin, (sixth from left holding Food Justice sign),
among volunteers at a recent food distribution at the intersection
of Ocean and Parkside avenues in Brooklyn. Photo by Tangerine Clarke
know what is happening,”
he said of the NY-based 501(c)(3)
non-profit community organization
committed to uplifting marginalized
Caribbean LGBTQ voices and
advocating for greater family acceptance
through community organizing,
public education, cultural, and
social programming.
“I work with the most amazing
team of volunteers. The Caribbean
Equality Projects Community
Action team have been doing this
work for two years, and every single
pantry attended to, we have served
anywhere between 300 and 350 people
and that’s just people that physically
shows up and take-home food
to feed at least a family of four,” said
Amin, head of the organization that
has received numerous accolades for
its work.
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