Last Friday the community once again came together in a major way to feed the people and provide PPE. Africatown Community Land Trust together with the Def Chef Kitchen, The Tubman Center, 100 Black Men, The Plate Fund, and Emergency Feeding Program all joined hands to distribute not only hot meals, but boxes of groceries as well as PPE for those most vulnerable in our community. The group was also joined by Willard Jimerson Jr. of United Better Thinking as well as La’Keith “G-Prez” Asphy of Presidential Transportation in this endeavor. 

The recent outpourings of community support on 23rd and Jackson have now become a regular occurrence proving that the Central District’s long tradition of neighbors taking care of neighbors is alive and well. 

Over 100 years ago, Black residents of the Central District had their own charitable organizations such as the Sojourner Truth Home located on what is now 23rd and Union operated from 1919 to 1940 that worked diligently to cater to the needs of those members of the community most marginalized at that time. Although today the Sojourner Truth Home is no more, the legacy and tradition of caring for those less fortunate in our community is alive and well.

Friday’s event was organized by Traeanna Holiday of the Africatown Community Land Trust (ACLT). 100 Black Men and The Tubman Center provided the PPE. The Plate Fund provided hot meals. The ACLT, the Def Chef Kitchen, and the Emergency Feeding Program came together for grocery boxes and a food pantry in which community members could select food items.

The ACLT, Emergency Feeding Program, and the Def Chef Kitchen have a weekly recurring program in which the Emergency Feeding Program delivers 850 pounds of food a week to ACLT and from there the Def Chef Kitchen creates about 700 hot meals a week that are served at Soulful Dishes on 18th and Yesler and as well delivered by ACLT to affordable housing developments like the Liberty Bank Building, Jackson Heights, and Monica’s Village by the ACLT.

For more information on ACLT’s feeding program please email Info@AfricatownLandTrust.org