Clinton Hill Fort Greene Mutual Aid’s First Annual People Power Picnic

Clinton Hill Fort Greene Mutual Aid’s first annual People Power Picnic will be held on Saturday, May 18th, from 2-5pm, in Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn, NY. The event will feature homemade, pot-luck style food and beverages, prepared with care by community volunteers, and local (world famous) DJs: Saint James Joy, the duo behind Clinton Hill’s hottest block party, and Grammy-winning Latin Artist Cheo Pardo. All are invited to attend, and food and drinks are donation-based: whether that is $0.50 or $50 per plate, any amount is welcome.

The picnic aims to raise funds for Clinton Hill Fort Greene Mutual Aid (CHFGMA)’s Grocery and Essentials Fund, one of the nation’s only mutual aid-based, direct cash assistance programs. The Fund currently offers a monthly stipend of $50 to individuals or $100 to households, intended to support the purchase of groceries, hygiene products and other essentials. The Grocery and Essentials Fund offers a flexible solution for neighbors who can’t attend pantry distributions or need access to specific foods that meet their health and cultural needs.

Since inception, the Fund has distributed $800,000 for 8,000 requests – but now, the Fund needs community support. The necessity for food assistance has continued to grow with inflation and rising food costs. For the Fund to meet the current level of need, CHFGMA would have to raise $17,000 every month, compared to the roughly $5,600 per month the Fund currently collects. In April, the Fund cut distributions in half, and in May, no distributions will be made at all.

The last time CHFGMA paused distributions, in the fall of 2021, re-engaging our neighbors helped to re-establish the Fund and restart distributions. That’s the plan for the People Power Picnic. More than that, we want to have fun in our beautiful Fort Greene oasis and continue to build community in our great neighborhood.