In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, we are coming to you with a very special request. We are asking for a donation to support Chilis On Wheels’ annual vegan Thanksgiving Community Feast. We have in years past always managed this event with the donations and cooperation of only our own volunteers. But this year the New York City Parks department is charging Chilis On Wheels a fee to set up in Tomkins Square Park to distribute food and supplies to people in need in the community. Chilis on Wheels is also responsible for providing food that was handled and prepared at a kitchen with a health certificate. (Previously, even all the food was donated by volunteers). The costs for the permits, insurance and food/supplies will total $10,000. We have been fortunate enough to secure a $5,000 match grant – so every dollar you donate will be doubled up to $5,000 – making this event possible! Every little bit helps.
Chilis on Wheels is proud to announce that this will be our 4th annual Thanksgiving Community Feast! But we can’t do it without your help. The event will take place on November 22, 2018 at noon. We serve more than a thousand meals to hungry New Yorkers throughout Manhattan. Our Thanksgiving Community Feast is held in Tompkins Square Park, where we serve weekly meals to the community in the Lower East Side. Our community gathers on Thanksgiving Day for a full spread of vegan food, coat and clothing drive, personal care packages of cruelty free products, a kid’s area, an information booth, where questions about veganism can be answered, as well as local community and social service resources. Also at Tompkins, food is packed and picked up by teams of volunteers that distribute the food in routes throughout Manhattan to people that are living in the streets and in need of a warm Thanksgiving meal. Volunteers and community members eat together, breaking down barriers of us vs. them and enjoying a compassionate and delicious vegan Thanksgiving meal in community!
