In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement we have compiled a list of resources amplifying Black chefs and food producers, Black-owned businesses, and organizations helping the food insecure during protests and COVID-19.

If you know of other community efforts, Black-owned businesses and food producers that need amplification, please let us know by reaching out to info@mofad.org.

Last updated February 2022.

Food with Fam (@food_withfam) is a local New York City-based initiative helping food insecure people through COVID and protests. Every two weeks the organization gives out pantry supplies, fresh produce, and hot meals.

Volunteer or donate food food.with.fam.nyc@gmail.com; or

Donate funds: Venmo @food-withfam or Cash App $foodwithfam.

Fuel the People is a nonprofit guided by the belief that food is the fuel for the revolution, and works to provide nourishment to protestors on the front lines, support local Black and POC-owned restaurants and businesses, and donate to local organizations who work tirelessly to support Black liberation. They regularly feed more than 6,000 protesters across New York City and DC and provide them with necessary safety equipment and first aid kits. Donate or volunteer here.

Feed more, waste less: Goodr is a Black-owned organization, helping restaurants and food businesses control surplus food, reduce carbon footprints, and empower local communities by donating their unused or perishable food items.

The People's Kitchen Collective is an organization based in Oakland, California, working at the intersection of art and activism as a food-centered political education project. During the pandemic, they’ve shifted to a food distribution model that’s similar to a lot of the mutual aid work that’s being done right now. Donate here.

Find a supplier of food and water during protests in NYC here, plus rest stops.

@ghettogastro is partnering with @rethinkfood.nyc to feed and give PPE supplies to the protest frontlines of Manhattan, "Nourishment is necessary. Food gives us the strength our bodies and minds need to seize this moment." Donate here.

The Okra Project The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them. Currently raising money during protests. Donate here.

Brooklyn Rescue Mission - Offering food to families right now Tu & W 10-12pm. Also fundraising to continue their efforts during COVID-19. Donate here.

Black Women’s Blueprint, grassroots organization — Black Women’s Blueprint envisions a world where women and girls of African descent are fully empowered and where gender, race and other disparities are erased. Their Sista Van is offering supplies, food, and health support during protests. Donate here.

Chilis on Wheels — pantry/food relief and hot vegan meals during COVID. Donate here.

Modern Love Brooklyn (not Black-owned) is providing $2 community meals. They’ve also partnered with Chilis on Wheels, Worker’s Justice Project, and Los Sures to provide free meals to folks in need in Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Brownsville.

Sol Sips — Free meals for Black community. Full plant-based meal with a fresh beverage and a dessert for our June 3 until Saturday. If you didn’t get a chance to schedule your meal pick up you are welcome to arrive between 3pm-5pm.

Donations via Cashapp: $solsipsnyc, Venmo: @solsipshospitality, Paypal solsipsnyc@gmail.com

East Oakland Collective — working to feed people without homes who've been hit hardest by coronavirus in Deep East Oakland + meeting the needs of Oaklanders protesting police brutality.

Education

Nigerian food explorer, Ozoz Sokoh, created a digital library with 100+ free-to-access, ebooks focused on the culinary heritage of West Africa and the African Diaspora. Of these books, 84 are featured in Toni Tipton Martin's The Jemima Code. You'll find it here: Feast Afrique Digital Library.

The Michael James Jackson Foundation is a grant-making organization that funds scholarship awards to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color within the brewing and distilling trades. The program is open to candidates at the beginning of their careers, as well as those looking to continue their education. Apply here and donate here.

Black Bourbon Society bridges the gap between the spirits industry and African American bourbon enthusiasts, while challenging traditional direct consumer marketing standards by curating experiences that genuinely engage their unique demographic, and advocate for diversity and inclusion through speaking engagements and consulting within the spirits industry. Become a member.

RAISE: High Road Restaurants is a network of of restaurant owners who are committed to finding a path forward that helps restaurant owners succeed financially while improving working conditions for their team members. This includes a commitment to fair wages and increasing racial and gender equity through hiring, training, and promotional practices. Find their racial toolkit here.

Latis is a new sustainability platform designed to help brands determine the environmental + social impact of their ingredients. They're donating 5 licenses to support small brands: BIPOC-owned brands are encouraged to apply. Apply before 11/16/2020! Apply here.

Black Wine Professionals is a professional resource for industry employers and gatekeepers, and the food and beverage community. Their goal is to shine a light and uplift multifaceted Black professionals in the world of wine. Donate here.

Woke Foods is offering an 8-week program Earth Lab for BIPoC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) to practice healing their relationship to and being in reciprocity with Mother Earth, while understanding how white supremacy and racism have and continue to impact their collective survival.

The program includes topics like, Plant-Based Cooking and Nutrition, Composting, Growing & Seeding, Plants as Medicine, Zero Waste & Upcycling, History of Land Struggles / Sovereignty and more. Applications open on Monday, June 29, 2020 and close Friday, July 24, 2020. The program will kick off on August 19, 2020. Apply here.

Oko Urban Farms , popularly known as Oko Farms, is an Aquaponics Farm and Education Company in Brooklyn, New York. They're NYC's first outdoor (and only publicly accessible) aquatic farm. The farm cultivates a variety of freshwater fish and vegetables together in a closed-loop recirculating ecosystem known as aquaponics. The system cultivates both freshwater fish and vegetables while saving water. Donate here.

Drive Change is a nonprofit helping formerly incarcerated youth to succeed in the food service industry by offering an 8-month paid-fellowship for 18-25 year olds, training them in culinary arts and placing them into living-wage jobs. The organization holds hospitality partners accountable to providing a workplace experience that is fair, supportive, and equitable. Donate here to help their fellows who have lost employment due to COVID-19.

The Brownsville Community Culinary Center provides free culinary vocational training to Brownsville residents offers a safe, comfortable space where neighbors can access fresh, healthy, affordable, culturally relevant foods, prepared by training program participants apprenticing alongside seasoned industry professionals. During quarantine, the BCCC and their partners are distributing meals throughout Brownsville to seniors in need.

Castanea Fellowship two-year fellowship for diverse leaders working for a racially just food system in any of the areas of health, environment, agriculture, regional economies, or community development.

CoFED - Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive — Queer, trans, and color-led organization that partners with young BIPOC to build food and land co-ops.

@blackfoodfolks — A fellowship of Black professionals in food & drink, promoting and supporting one another for mutual success - they have daily conversations on African American food history and culture, labor, and so much more.

Despite the prevalence of Black-owned
businesses, black entrepreneurs face steep financial challenges and many must resort to savings, credit cards, and loans from friends and family to gather capital, placing their personal finances at risk. OnlineMBA has compiled a list of organizations that offer a wealth of resources for Black entrepreneurs, including funding, education, and robust networking opportunities. Find the list here.

Detroit Black Community Food Security Network — The organization was founded to ensure that Detroit's African American population participated in the food movement and because they are the vast majority of the population in Detroit, that they are in the leadership on that movement locally.

Closing the racial wealth gap in America isn't a simple fix, but many experts say education and financial literacy can help. To shed light on the topic, Annuity.org created an in-depth article discussing:- The impact that this knowledge gap has on the African American community- Socioeconomic and cultural barriers- The role of Black financial advisors. Find their article here.

Cuir Kitchen Brigade — a LGBTQ+ inclusive, Black and POC-lead food and agro project based in NYC in solidarity with Puerto Rico's sustainable agroecology movement.

Growthink has created this resource page to help Black entrepreneurs acquire the knowledge and resources necessary to achieve as much success as possible. Find their resource page here.

Fundraisers

Phoenix Community Garden, a Brooklyn growing garden with Black leadership, has been providing a weekly bag of fresh produce and high-quality pantry staples for the area's elders.

Help the garden continue to provide healthy and culturally significant produce for the local community in need. Give today and your donation will be matched by ioby, a grassroots fundraising platform. Donate here.

Momma Zee's Food to Plez Deli & Grocery is one of the few woman- and Black-owned bodegas in NYC. "My bodega means everything to me because it means giving back to the community," Momma Zee says. Help them stay open! Donate here.

Boss Blend Coffee Co is a small-batch artisanal coffee company that launched in 2018. Kalisha Carmichael, the CEO and Founder, is paying to her Afro Cuban Roots. The mission is to create a safe space for Black people to enjoy coffee culture and “a reminder that we deserve and can create our own artisanal, intentional, high-quality products.” Boss Blend is seeking funds to secure a warehouse. Donate here.

Omar Tate is a Philadelphia-based artist and chef, and founder of immersive Honeysuckle pop-up dinners, that explore the nuance and expanse of American Black identity through poetry, food, and music.

Now, Honeysuckle is re-imagined as a multifaceted community center in West Philadelphia with a grocery, library, and supper club, where Black food and culture will take center stage. Donate here.

Fresh to Farming is a queer and Black farmer, Kiley Clark, seeking funds to buy land and start their own farm while writing and researching about the challenges facing new and aspiring farmers, especially Black farmers.

"I have been working in agriculture for the last five years, studying organic and sustainable farming practice and documenting the lives of farmers through my writing and photography," Clark says. "With Black farm ownership at only 2% in the United States and with threats to agricultural systems and widespread food insecurity, now is the time to set forth on a dream I have been cultivating for the last decade." Donate here.

ChefingWhileBlack is a project started by former line cook Felicia "Jade" Simon, who the left the kitchen a year ago often finding herself to be the only Black cook in fine dining restaurants, "it never felt acceptable." ChefingWhileBlack began in 2017 with the idea to have more Black people cooking on-screen.

"There are so many amazing Black chefs who should be showcasing their talent to the world," Simon says. "They shouldn’t have to beg for that opportunity from TV channels or online publications who do not value Black people as chefs and content creators." ChefingWhileBlack will be the channel for every Black chef, food journalist, food photographer, and every other Black creative in the culinary industry. Donate here.

Black Chef Movement — Founded by three friends classically trained in Culinary Arts, Chef Rasheeda of Ms. Goodies Meal Prep (@chef_rasheeda), Chef Remi of Food Gossip Chef (@foodgossipchef), and Event Coordinator Kayla Davis (@__Msdavis). The team is made up of several chefs and volunteers who wanted to give back and provide meals to The Black Lives Matter Movement. They are cooking, preparing, and distributing healthy nutrient-rich meals for the frontlines. Donate here.

Forty Acres & A Mule Project — a Black restaurant owner in the Coulee Regional area in Wisconsin focuses her food and efforts on community revitalization through storytelling and civic projects. The proceeds of this campaign will go to the purchase of land to guarantee farm-to-table resources for the food industry, serve to provide an outlet for Black foodways, and to establish a safe haven to secure the legacy of Black foodways. Donate here.

Fundraiser for “BBQ man” — David McAtee was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky last week. He was a Black restaurant owner in the community, who fed cops for free. He was fatally shot by authorities around midnight on June 1. Donate here.

Businesses

Founded by a mother and daughter duo from Trinidad and Tobago, Camella’s Kitchen helps you elevate your meals at home and on the go with bold Caribbean flavors. Rooted in tradition, all of their flavors are handcrafted in small batches: hot sauce, marinade, spices, cakes and more. Plus, find free recipes on their website to inspire your cooking!

The Mise Group is a small, black-owned restaurant and chef management company located in NYC helping restaurants and chefs get everything in its place for success. Their services include menu editing and advancement, reservation's management, and cohesive brand integration. The Mise Group specializes in small restaurants, food businesses, concepts, and independent chefs.

The Arawak people and their Indigenous Caribbean culture are slowly disappearing. Arawak Farm based in Oakland, CA, are shining a light on their ancestors' food with a collection of pepper sauces, spicy fruit spreads, and spice blends. To support, try their products today.

Southern Queen Culture is working to reclaim a pantry staple out of South Carolina—fresh, stone-ground grits, “Black people made those crops successful, that’s part of our heritage, and that was lost.”

Bissy is a kola nut-based drink taking back the kola nut history by forming equitable trade with farmers in Nigeria while celebrating the crop's natural energizing properties in their signature beverage.

Chef Fatima Canty is a Bronx-based pastry chef, whipping up spectacular cakes and desserts all from scratch for any occasion. And, yes, you can order glitter on everything.

Taco Africana is New York's First African Taqueria owned and operated by Zinyisile Khumbula, a.k.a. Chef Zi. They hand make African spiced tortillas with globally inspired, flavorful fillings. Currently specializing in catering and events and pop-ups.

SAMBUXA NYC is a Sudanese caterer specializing in sambuxas, a crispy pastry with sweet or savory fillings inspired by a unique blend of East African, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern heritage. "Taste is in the fold," their founder Gladys Shahtou says.

Brooklyn-based Bacchanal Sauce is a Black and Woman-owned food company, specializing in Caribbean hot sauces and spice rubs, that also does pop-ups.

Growing Places Indy, an Indianapolis, IN based nonprofit that operates 4 urban farms, hosts a farm stand and farmers market in the winter and provide food to the local community. "We are committed to building a more just and equitable food system in Indianapolis through urban farming, food access, mind-body education, and entrepreneurship," says the Executive Director, Victoria Beaty.

Kitchly is a Black-owned business specializing in the latest kitchen gadgets, tools, and appliances for the home-cook and chefs alike.

It's Food Biz! is a Black-owned consulting firm, providing marketing services focused on food and food-related products.

Berry Bissap Berry Bissap is a West African spiced hibiscus tea made with organic, ethically sourced hibiscus flowers and West African authentic spices from Northern Ghana. The founder Akua Kyerematen Nettey, launched Berry Bissap in 2019 with a mission to fill the wide gaps of lack of African ingredients and products on American grocery shelves.

Black Earth Farms - Grassroots Pan African and Pan Indigenous farmers in California who are delivering free food to Black folx harmed in the Oakland uprisings, donate venmo @blackearthfarms or cash app $blackearth

Yardy - just opened meal delivery service. Also providing “meal relief for black families because we are indeed still in the midst of a pandemic and food insecurity should not be a barrier to living and getting through your day. You can support the growth of this program by 1) sending a donation to our venmo (handle is @yardyworld), 2) buying gift cards on our website to send to people you love and 3) sharing this post with others who may feel inclined to invest in our endeavor 🖤” (from Instagram post)

Black-owned/operated farms:

Download EatOkra The App to find Black-owned restaurants in your city.

Forty Acres Fresh Market — Black-owned, low-cost grocery store that offers fresh produce, currently via delivery only in Chicago offering affordable, healthy food options for underserved communities.

Mutual Aid

Crown Heights Mutual Aid

Community Fridges — Free food and supply mutual exchange drop-off and pick-up, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, Harlem.

Bed-Stuy Strong is a mutual aid society that has been purchasing and delivering groceries and basic supplies to vulnerable people in their community during covid.

NYC Black Mutual Aid