Central Brooklyn Food Coop

12/05/2024

Come kick it at Sweet Brooklyn Bar! -

Come kick it with your CBFC comrades as we celebrate the end of 2024 (what a year its been) and gear up for all that is to come in 2025! Community is vital more now than ever, we need you and we miss you!

11/17/2024

Happy Sunday CBFC members, Hybrid General Meeting Wed. Nov. 20 at Restoration Plaza and over Zoom. Annual Meeting Social Gathering Location will be announced soon! SAVE the DATE Black Food Rising Feb. 2025

05/08/2022

Hey CBFC folks, Here’s the meeting schedule for the rest of May. If you’re interested in learning about a committee or attending a meeting, please email Raina Kennedy at [email protected].

Meetings held on Zoom

04/14/2022

📢 Riseboro, on behalf of Central Brooklyn Food Democracy Project, is hosting a 3-part workshop series focused on supporting worker cooperatives to build ethical and sustainable Black-led businesses.

The first session’s topic is “Coops for a Sustainable Economy,” and will take place on April 26th, 6-7 pm. To register, go to bit.ly/3iJ1Kwo

If you have any questions, please email Rachel Isreeli, at [email protected]

Hope to see you there!

04/04/2022

In our March newsletter, we interviewed another of CBFC's newest Board members, Shaquana Boykin. Shaquana was elected at the December 2021 Annual Meeting, and prior to that served on the Board in an ex-officio capacity.

Read below to learn what inspired Shaquana to become a member and serve on CBFC's Board!

✨What are your pronouns?

She/Her

✨When did you join CBFC and why?

I joined as staff in 2020 and as a member in Dec 2021. First I had no clue what a “coop” meant. After a few meetings and conversations with my supervisor at the time I fell in love with the vision of CBFC and the people’s (members) passion to use collective strengths to open up a Black-led grocery store engaging long term Central Brooklyn residents. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than me, collectively work for access to fresh food.

✨What inspired you to run for the Board after your Ex-Officio position ended?

I didn’t realize I could run for the board until a member I worked with and got to know during Hold Down BK food giveaways asked me would I consider. I thought about how closely I had worked with the board, the relationships I built and unique perspective I could bring as a Board member.

✨What's your favorite dish to cook?

My favorite dish has been collards w/ smoke turkey, Oxtails, Mac & Cheese with side corn bread

✨What ingredients are you most excited to see stocked at CBFC?

Ithaca Yogurt, green tomatoes, cheese, cotton candy grapes, purple carrots & fresh bread

✨What would you say to someone who's thinking about becoming a member?

I would encourage Black Central Brooklyn residents to join a collective if they want to be a part of something bigger than them, opening and operating the 1st Black Food Coop in Central Brooklyn. I would also invite interested members to attend a meeting to be around current members.

✨Where can folks find you on social media?

On Facebook and Instagram: Shaquana for Brooklyn

03/04/2022

Happy Friday! We’re a little late this month, but here’s the meeting schedule for March. If you’re interested in attending any meetings or finding out more about a committee, please email Raina Kennedy at [email protected]

02/25/2022

🗣 CBFC’s Fundraising Committee is calling for new members! This is a critical and exciting time to be a part of Fundraising as they raise money to open the coop this fall.

The Fundraising Committee takes the lead on digital crowdfunding, donor cultivation, grant writing, and (COVID safe) fundraiser events. If you’re down to support their efforts, join their next meeting:
Thursday March 3rd at 7, over Zoom.

If you want to learn more or have questions, contact [email protected] or [email protected]

02/08/2022

During CBFC’s Annual Meeting in December, membership elected 2 new Board members. Today we're highlighting: Leah Asha Allen 🎉

We interviewed Leah in our January Member Newsletter about what inspired her to join the coop, run for the board, and more. Read Leah’s responses below!

✨When did you join CBFC and why?

I joined the Central Brooklyn Food Co-op in July 2021 because access to fresh, local, affordable food in Central Brooklyn is a social justice issue directly linked to the wellness outcomes of my community. The need for solutions–such as worker-owned food co-ops–has been reemphasized by the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our neighborhoods as it pertains to health, labor, and access to basic necessities. Most grocery corporations hoard profits and exploit workers. CBFC is an alternative that centers people and collective decision-making toward a self-determined future.

✨What inspired you to run for CBFC's Board?

My run for the CBFC Board is an acknowledgment of the work that has gone into organizing for the past several years. Many have worked diligently to get the Co-op to this point, and I am glad to have the capacity to pick up where others left off to see this initiative through and get the Co-op doors open to the public.

✨What's your "day job?"

Currently, I work in nonprofit fundraising. Aside from work, I serve on Brooklyn Community Board 3, study herbalism, gardening, and beekeeping. I'm also Founder and President of Brooklyn Public Art, a newborn nonprofit aiming to commission artists to create site-specific work for public space throughout the borough.

✨What would you say to someone thinking about becoming a member?
Investing in the Central Brooklyn Food Co-op is an act of love. "[Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] believed that love is ‘ultimately the only answer’ to the problems facing this nation and the entire planet. I share that belief and the conviction that it is in choosing love, and beginning with love as the ethical foundation for politics, that we are best positioned to transform society in ways that enhance the collective good." –bell hooks, “Love as the Practice of Freedom”, 1994

02/01/2022

CBFC members and prospective members, Feb meetings are up and the first meeting of the month is tonight!

If you’re interested in attending a meeting or learning more about a committee, email Raina Kennedy at [email protected]

All meetings are held over zoom.

12/30/2021

We hope everyone is having a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season! Here’s our first meeting schedule for the new year. If you’ve been thinking about attending a CBFC meeting, now is the perfect time. Join us as we ramp up our efforts in fundraising, strategy, and member outreach, in anticipation of our goal to open our coop doors in 2022!

If you’re interested in attending a meeting or learning more about a committee, email Raina Kennedy at [email protected]

All meetings are held over zoom.