The Community Cookout - Feeding New York
Hey Everybody!
My name is Endea Owens and I am raising money towards my organization, The Community Cookout.
What Is The Community Cookout?
The Community Cookout is a monthly program that provides a minimum of 150 free meals and live pop-up concerts throughout the
boroughs of New York. This program was in reaction to Covid, economic disparities, lack of performing arts, and injustices. There are many spaces that lack the feeling of accessibility within New York. With the sudden impact of Covid, the performing arts scene in New York
became almost nonexistent. In addition to this, there were even less spaces where individuals could have a sense of normalcy. To date, The Cookout has provided free meals to over 1500 New Yorkers and 12 outdoor concerts.
How Did The Community Cookout Start?
July 3rd, 2020, I had an idea that seemed impossible...I wanted to distribute 100 free meals. I saw how many people became unemployed,
homeless, and had no idea where there next meal would come from. I decided to take action. I called a local chef in Harlem and asked him if he could prepare the meals. Thankfully he agreed. On July 4th, 2020 we had our first community cookout in Harlem on 125th St. and Park
Ave. However, within 45 minutes we ran out of meals. That's when I realized the need to continue this organization.
The following month, I decided to add live music. I wanted to create the feeling of being at a concert again and make it accessible to
everyone. For the second cookout, we distributed 150 meals catered from a local Harlem restaurant, and I was able to hire a band of musicians. Within minutes, people were dancing, singing, celebrating, and just experiencing a few hours of normalcy. To hear music again, to
fellowship with people and share a meal was an experience that left everyone feeling hopeful. A year later, we are still spreading that hope and joy.
Why?
I love it! I love people. I love community. I love seeing kids light up at the sounds and sights of live music. I love hearing people's stories of
how a song or dish reminded them of their loved ones. To serve the community is an extremely high honor and blessing. I remember as a
kid going to free music programs, the food/clothing drives at my home church, the random acts of kindness from strangers, and the overall feeling of love and community in Detroit. This had a great impact over my life and provided both the mental and physical motivation to
tackle the challenges of everyday life. At times, we even got to experience free live music concerts. I noticed that with the presence of
these concerts and free food programs, the community developed a ripple effect of encouragement and positivity. The community felt
more unified and this created a safe space for people to exist, think clearly, create, communicate, and work on their own ways to make the community better. I wanted to contribute the same feeling I felt growing up to New York. I created The Community Cookout because I
truly believe that creating a better world starts first with our communities.
Funding
For the past year, about 90% of funding has been out-of-pocket. Each event usually costs anywhere from $2300-$3000 dollars. Your
donations will directly fund musicians, meals, transportation, and other expenses for the upcoming year and will allow The Community
Cookout to reach even more people.
https://www.thecommunitycookout.com/
With Love,
Endea Owens