The South Bronx has seen rapid gentrification in the past few years, with median rent rising 45 percent since 2005, the largest rent raises in the city. According to the 2010 census, the Bronx as a whole is 35.4 percent foreign-born and with 27.3 percent of the population in poverty, though that last statistic is surely different now given that the Bronx has the highest COVID-19 case, hospitalization, and death rates per capita in New York City. Concerns of developers and elected officials using the pandemic as a cover to take advantage of low prices and a strapped population are certainly valid. Issues like poverty, lack of access to health care, and food scarcity “are not new in the South Bronx,” says Saavedra.
A Restaurant Ended Its Relationship With World Central Kitchen Over Its Dealings With ICE. It’s Complicated. by Eater
A NOTE ON THE TALLIES
- 2 lbs. hot meals: One hot meal prepared by La Morada (hot main dish + side + fruit) equals approximately two meals provided by the city through the GetFood NYC program. La Morada hot meal tallies can—and should—be multiplied by two to estimate the number of meals distributed according to the city measurements. La Morada was not a contractor nor participate in the GetFoodNYC or the “Grab and Go Meals” program by DSNY.
- 20 lbs. grocery boxes: these boxes, put together by La Morada, weigh about 20lb. The boxes are distributed among Mott Haven families that are part of the Whatsapp group “Indígenas American Unidos.”
- 30 lbs. USDA combo boxes: These boxes include fresh vegetables, dairy, meat, and nonperishable food and weigh 30 lb. USDA boxes begin to be distributed in The Bronx in January of 2021 (Brooklyn and Manhattan started receiving USDA Boxes in Summer 2020, thanks to the advocacy done by La Morada, Mutual Aid Folks, and the Public Advocate Office.
A NOTE ON ACCOUNTABILITY
La Morada denounces
Chef Andres, World Central Kitchen for profiting from disasters, Placing the immigrant community and vulnerable communities at risk by working closely with Homeland Security and Police Officers, serving police officers first in the food lines instead of people that are in need, using vulnerable moments for photo ops.
Brookfield Properties for causing mass displacement of Mott Haven Neighbors including small businesses through gentrification and gatekeeping food and much-needed resources during the COVID 19 Pandemic through nonprofit organizations and infiltrating mutual-aid groups.
RAP4BRONX (Relief Access Program for the Bronx), an initiative backed by real estate developers. RAP4Bronx is powered by the Skyline Charitable Foundation, a non-for-profit that is also behind Skyline Restoration. RAP4BRONX functions as a screen organization for real estate developers. Brookfield Properties works directly with them, as shown in RAP4Bronx website: “Produce Donation by Brookfield Properties and Imperfect Foods.”
Bronx Foundation, Mott Haven Bar and Grill, Beatstro, for constantly selling out the Mott Haven community by constantly aligning themselves with real estate developers, the corrupt Bronx Democratic Machine, and corporations.
Daniel Zauderer, Mott Haven Fridge, for creating an unsafe setting in Mott Haven and the Upper Manhattan and Bronx Fridge network by ignoring accountability and constantly involving and selling out Mott Haven and the Fridges to gentrifiers (like Rap4bx and Brookfield), and politicians. His willingness to post the líkenesses of fridge visitors on social media as well as fundraise utilizing the likenesses and efforts of other community fridge organizers without consent is duplicitous and endangers and exploits our community members. When community organizers called Daniel in for accountability and told him to stop misrepresenting himself with the labor and identities of our community members , his response was to harass them repeatedly and abusively.
Ian Christner, Riverdale Senior Services/North West Food Justice Project / Police Liaison, for infiltrating the fridge network and being verbally violent and threatening towards women of color. He applied for and received $75,000 in funding to Riverdale Senior Services invoking the community fridge movement in his proposal without any consent from community fridge organizers, again like Daniel soliciting money for work that is not his. Also, he has displaced NYCHA tenants from control of their own community gardens and sought to further position himself as a gatekeeper to food and resources with his non for profit work.
… ALSO, FOLKS SHOULD NOT FORGET
FALL 2020
MAIN INGREDIENTS: corn, green tomatoes, eggplants, apples, plums, dahlia, poultry, plums, pineapples.
October 2020 Meal Count
| 2 lbs. hot meals tally: 11,800
Week 1: 2,950 meals
Week 2: 2,950 meals
Week 3: 2,950 meals
Week 4: 2,950 meals
Neighborhood, groups, and organizations that receive/distribute hot meals: Mott Haven, Holyrood Church, Neighborhoods Benches, Padre Plaza, volunteers, fridges (The Uptown Fridge, The Fridge Girls, and Community Fridges deliver and stock up fridges with meals prepared by La Morada).
| 20 lbs. grocery boxes tally: 260
Week 1: 65 boxes
Week 2: 65 boxes
Week 3: 65 boxes
Week 4: 65 boxes
October 2020 Timeline
October 1: NYC middle and high schools begin in-person learning.
October 2: T*** and Melania T*** test positive for coronavirus.
October 3: Carolina Saavedra facilitates the first outdoor community workshop centered on indigenous knowledge about medical plants. The series workshop, Brewing Memories/La memoria de las hierbas, is part of the series of activities cosponsored by Archives in common. This free and bilingual workshop is offered for a second time on October 24.
October 4: De Blasio announces all schools and non-essential businesses will close in nine zip codes in Brooklyn and Queens, if approved by the state. The second wage begins.
La Morada participates in a protest outside the 40th precinct in response to the brutal attack by NYPD to South Bronx residents on June 4th.
October 5: NYC reports 252,000 COVID-19 cases and 23,861 deaths to date.
October 14: Marco Saavedra participates in “The Undocumented-Led Struggle for Freedom: A Conversation with the Authors of Eclipse of Dreams,” along with co-authors Claudia Muñoz, Mariela Nuñez, and Steve Pavey. This public activity is part of a series of activities cosponsored by Archives in common.
The Undocumented-Led Struggle for Freedom: A Conversation with the Authors of Eclipse of Dreams from The Center for the Humanities on Vimeo.
October 17: La Morada participates in a Family Friendly Black Lives Matter counter-protest, outside the 40th precinct in Mott Haven, where a “Blue Lives Matter” event is being organized.
October 21: La Morada starts to deliver hot meals twice a week for community members. Ten different families get hot meals delivered to their homes. Some families receive meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays; others on Wednesdays and Fridays.
October 30: La Morada participates in the Festival Ofrenda at Holyrood Church, to commemorate Día de los Muertos.
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November 2020 Meal Count
2 lbs. hot meals tally: 12,800
Week 1: 2,950 meals
Week 2: 2,950 meals
Week 3: 3,950 meals (1000 extra meals are delivered on Thanksgiving Day)
Week 4: 2,950 meals
Neighborhood, groups, and organizations that receive/distribute hot meals: Mott Haven, Holyrood Church, Neighborhoods Benches, Padre Plaza, volunteers, fridges (The Uptown Fridge, The Fridge Girls, and Community Fridges deliver and stock up fridges with meals prepared by La Morada).
20 lbs. grocery boxes tally: 260
Week 1: 65 boxes
Week 2: 65 boxes
Week 3: 65 boxes
Week 4: 65 boxes
November 2020 Timeline
In November, La Morada expands their distribution thanks to the mutual aid work done by The Fridge Girls. The fridges distribution is organized by day and neighborhood:
Tuesdays and Fridays – Northern Manhattan / Northern Bronx
Wednesdays and Thursdays – Harlem / South Bronx
November 2: like every Tuesday, La Morada mutual aid kitchen begins their prep. They feed neighbors with the distribution help of Neighborhoods Benches @neighborhoodbenches
November 3: La Morada participates in a rally organized by Take Back The Bronx to await for elections results.
November 11: La Morada uses their social media to remind the Bronx communities to get tested for COVID-19 and to wear a mask while in public.
November 19: Marco Saavedra participates in a fundraiser organized by the Northern Manhattan Coalition of Immigrants Rights. There is a screening of The Infiltrators, followed by a conversation with Marco.
November 26: on Thanksgiving day, over a thousand meals are served. The meal is composed of pumpkin soup, collard greens, corn bread, string beans, barbacoa turkey, smash potatoes, homemade grape jam, and assorted sweets, and it is served and labeled in individual containers, so neighbors can enjoy a full Thanksgiving feast. La Morada do this in partnership with The Fridge Girls (@thefridgegirls on Instagram).
November 26: La Morada demands accountability from Union Square Hospitality Group, because the group uses the restaurant name in a post to advertise and boost their mutual aid partnership with Rethink Food. La Morada asks the group to remove the tag to their name in the post.
November 30: La Morada begins a fundraiser campaign. “Do-gooders” T-shirts. On Facebook, they write:
“Okay fellow do-gooders, now is your chance to use your do-good powers once again and help our soup kitchen this winter (plus look pretty great in some swag all year around).
Simply order this shirt and all profits will go towards our soup kitchen! We have to reach our sales goal by the end of the week for the fundraiser to go through and shirts to be made, so please share with your pals!! Stay groovy.
December 2020 Meal Count
| 2 lbs. hot meals tally: 14,800
Week 1: 3,200 meals
Week 2: 3,200 meals
Week 3: 3,200 meals + 2,000 meals on December 22 and 23 (5,200 meals)
Week 4: 3,200 meals
Neighborhood, groups, and organizations that receive/distribute hot meals: Mott Haven, Holyrood Church, Neighborhoods Benches, Padre Plaza, volunteers, fridges (The Uptown Fridge, The Fridge Girls, and Community Fridges deliver and stock up fridges with meals prepared by La Morada).
| 20 lbs. grocery boxes tally: 260
Week 1: 65 boxes
Week 2: 65 boxes
Week 3: 65 boxes
Week 4: 65 boxes
December 2020 Timeline
December 1: It is Natalia’s birthday. The Saavedras celebrate with a surprise birthday cake and a visit from Lila, Natalia’s granddaughter, to La Morada.about:blankEmbed URL
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December 4: The Sip does a video profile of La Morada.
December 8: Carolina curates a panel, “Mutual Aid in Times of Crisis: Farmers and Chefs Working Together.”
December 9: Thrillist honors Yajaira and Marco as some of their local heroes. about:blankEmbed URL
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December 9: La Morada puts a new banner on their storefront. On Facebook, they write:
New banner alert
We stand in solidarity with family reunification and abolishing the prison industrial complex.
Today marked DAY 26 OF HUNGER STRIKE by immigrants inside The Bergen County Jail, NJ.
For more updates follow: @rw4bl_ @njadvocates and @mexicanosxunidos
#shutdownbergen #bergencountyhungerstrikersabout:blankEmbed URL
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December 16: La Morada prepares a delicious caldo de cadera (spicy beef soup). about:blankEmbed URL
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December 20: La Morada celebrates @dansparentshouse and @anchorfridge on
Facebook:
“Big shout out to these #dogooders @dansparentshouse for hosting the @anchorfridge Haters are trying to shut this place down even though the anchor fridge provides free meals to the elderly, unemployed, and working class folks. Please consider buying any last minute holiday gifts from @dansparentshouse”about:blankEmbed URL
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December 21: NY state and New York city begin the vaccine rollout for frontline and essential workers. La Morada advocates for vaccines for undocumented restaurant workers.
December 30: La Morada cooks pasta for their Mutual Aid Kitchen thanks to a pasta donation from @ifeedamerica. On Facebook, they write:
“We got pasta baby!
Feeling like a million bucks
Today we served 1,036 meals composed of seasonal veggies, chicken, pasta, and bread” about:blankEmbed URL
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Timeline by the seasons: