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Mutual Aid and Community Programming
We believe that food security and mutual aid are essential to community health, alongside clean air and water and thriving ecosystems. We also believe that direct material support to the community is a moral imperative and is invaluable in community engagement with our mission.
The Direct Aid program provides immediate support to those facing critical needs, from food distribution to financial relief. Focused on low-barrier access, this initiative offers essentials like food, hygiene products, and disaster-related aid to underserved populations. Through these efforts, the program addresses urgent community challenges and fosters long-term resilience.
Impact
In 2023, the Direct Aid program distributed over 8,000 essential items and offered financial relief to 250 families impacted by natural disasters. These efforts directly supported vulnerable communities, ensuring access to vital resources during times of crisis.
Common Ground Relief uniquely manages a food aid program alongside our environmental restoration programs. The Levee Pantry, located within our offices in the Lower 9th Ward, is barrier-free, and we focus on distributing fresh produce and pantry staples, serving an average of 200 families each month. As a small organization, we have also been able to mobilize volunteers quickly in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida and tornadoes that hit our neighborhood in 2022.
We do this work because we believe that food security and mutual aid are essential to community health, alongside clean air and water and thriving ecosystems. We also believe that direct material support to the community is a moral imperative and is invaluable in community engagement with our mission.
As a small organization, CGR has a small core staff and is supported by the work of volunteers, both visitors and locals. Visiting volunteers can come live on-site in our volunteer housing.