FARM, FOOD, FAMILIAS

Farm. Food. Familias Mutual-Aid Meals(FFF) is a project co-led by Getting Grown Collective, and the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Urban Pilon, Fresher Together, Amor y Sofrito and Kwamena to prepare and deliver meals to families in Little Village, Englewood and South Chicago. FFF started with 50 meals on May 6th, 2020.

 

Little Village, Englewood and South Chicago have been and continue to be some of the most affected communities by COVID-19. When FFF began, Little Village, Englewood and South Chicago(including South Shore) reported 1285, 712 and 1590 confirmed cases respectively which ignited the urgent creation of FFF.

 

"Since March 2020, Little Village and Englewood have recorded more than 19,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The neighborhoods are home to many Latinx and Black communities who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, facing higher mortality rates and greater economic hardship than white residents. " -Borderless Magazine

 

These communities have a high number of folks working as essential workers. As they face lack of access to food, increasingly due to loss of work, existing systematic disenfranchisement, access to healthcare, and an overload of local food pantries, GGC and LVEJO feel it's important to provide community members with weekly nutritional and cultural significant meals as an offering of nourishment and mutual care. 

 

A portion of produce for each meal is donated by urban agriculture-based nonprofits and businesses located in Chicago’s Southeast and Southwest sides including Closed Loop Farms, Gardeneers, Sweet Water Foundation, Urban Canopy and Windy City Harvest. To shed light on local farm businesses led by Black and Brown communities, another portion of produce is purchased from Cedillo’s Fresh Produce, Catatumbo Cooperative Farm and Fresher Together.

 

FFF currently serves 350 meals weekly through June 2021. The FFF team is actively fundraising to extend services through the end of 2021. Please click here to support Farm, Food, Familias deliveries July-December 2021.