Building Community by Aiding Each Other
As NYC marches through the reopening phases, direct food assistance continues to be a top need for low-income New Yorkers. At the warehouse Urban Upbound leased, where we store and distribute 150,000 lbs of food every week, we see the lines of local residents growing by the day. Thankfully, we also see more volunteers joining us in this effort.
One of our volunteers is Queensbridge resident and long-time Urban Upbound client, Belinda Ebanks. Belinda began helping out at the warehouse from the beginning of the pandemic. When Urban Upbound staff approached her to sign up as a volunteer she immediately said yes.
Belinda’s relationship with Urban Upbound dates back to 2010, when she joined the community board of the then recently launched Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union. Over the years, she has participated in different certification training sessions held by Urban Upbound and benefitted from our financial literacy workshops.
Volunteering is only one of the ways in which Belinda expresses her passion for the community — in the past, she has also volunteered with Jacob Riis Settlement, Evangel Church Pantry, and City Harvest — “I always follow my spirit” she tells us. A former EMT, Belinda has a new professional goal, to open her own business, and she knows the Urban Upbound Worker Cooperative Initiative will be there to support her.
Part of Urban Upbound’s Community Revitalization Program, the Worker Cooperative, and Business Development teams have been checking on local small businesses and supporting them throughout the pandemic. Please read more about our Relief and Recovery efforts, and consider making a donation. Big thank you to all our supporters, donors, and volunteers, we couldn’t do it without you!
