Vegan Hunger Relief Program Works With Brooklyn Borough President to Feed Community During Protests

The New York chapter of vegan hunger-relief organization Chilis on Wheels is working to feed communities in Brooklyn, NY during the social justice protests in response to the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police last month. The group is providing fresh fruit, snacks, burritos, and juice to protesters who are marching as well as those who have been arrested. 

As part of the initiative, Chilis on Wheels partnered with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, who loaned the group a space in Brooklyn Borough Hall to store and pack donated meals and groceries. In addition to serving protesters, Chilis on Wheels is also feeding people and families experiencing homelessness in need in the city.

This is not the first time Chilis on Wheels has worked alongside social justice protesters: During the Puerto Rican protests in 2019, the group distributed vegan sandwiches, and during the Executive Order 13769 protests in 2017 (which banned foreign nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries from visiting the US), Chilis on Wheels distributed vegan donuts to protesters at airports. 

“It’s important for us to work in solidarity across social justice movements,” Michelle Carrera, Chilis on Wheels founder and executive director, told VegNews. “It helps to build coalitions, create connections, and build a stronger front of support. Feeding people fighting for justice allows them to stay fueled and focused. Food is sustenance but it’s also political, vegan food even more so, and we use it as a form of solidarity.”