Uptown go green

Uptown Go Green is a collaborative vision for a NYC that is healthy in body and spirit. We desire to see lasting transformation in our neighborhoods that brings about physical and spiritual health. Uptown Go Green is a collaborative initiative that was started in light of the needs we at New York GO and found in our community of Washington Heights and Inwood, where 20% live below the poverty level. In this community, good nutritional food is needed and often either not available or not affordable. As we connected with our neighbors we found that during the Thanksgiving season, which should be a time of plenty, many were going hungry. We desired to meet this need, so in 2011 we started what we call the Uptown Go Green Thanksgiving Food Distribution, where we provided a tote bag of healthy food for 200 families. Since then, we have grown with each event. This year are thrilled to be planning to reach 3,000 families at 12 different sites, including some in the Bronx.

Summer Markets

High school youth trained in our Future CEO program run Summer Markets, selling produce to the community in order to meet the need for affordable, nutritious food.

Community Kitchen

As an outreach to the elderly, NYGO again utilizes high school youth to host a Community Kitchen for seniors in the neighborhood. They prepare healthy, nutritious meals; invite a nutritionist to communicate to the guests why they meal is nutritious, share a devotional, and partake in the meal together. They also provide health screenings and track health improvement over the course of the program.

Thanksgiving Food Distribution

Churches and community organizations come together to combat poverty during the Thanksgiving Season, providing each family with a tote bag of healthy food, an invitation to their local church, and personal contact as the families are prayed for and ministered to during the distribution.