Meet Kassandra Campbell
President of Jamaica Benevolent Arm & Cultural Center, Grassroots Grocer Food Distributor
Irene Madrigal
Meet Kassandra Campbell, a community organizer, and Mott Haven Fridge Network Food Distributor. Since 2018, Kassandra has served as the President of the Jamaica Benevolent Arm & Cultural Center — a nonprofit arm within the larger Jamaica Progressive League which began in 1936 to address the social welfare concerns of Jamaicans at home and abroad. Growing up, Kassandra frequently attended events hosted by the Jamaica Progressive League with her family who continue to be active members to this day — with Kassandra’s mother currently serving as the President. In addition, she also worked as a nurse in a clinic founded by her family in rural Jamaica where she gained first-hand experience helping to benefit her local community. Through her work, Kassandra aims to emulate the commitment her family has shown to providing aid for those most in need. “My mother, my grandmother, my great grandmother, and my great grand aunt were like the mothers of the community. [It] is in me, to help. I don’t know anything else to do but help.”
At the center of the Jamaica Benevolent Arm & Cultural Center is a commitment to promoting community engagement. “When a person feels empowered, they’ll do better. A lot of the issues that we have [occur] when people feel hopeless,” Kassandra explained. “They don’t feel like they have the power to do anything. They don’t know where to turn. They don’t know what to do and once you feel hopeless and overwhelmed you get stuck.” As a result, Kassandra believes that what is most important is to empower people with the knowledge, skills, and resources to help themselves and the other members of their community — ultimately with the end goal of ensuring nobody feels that they are struggling alone. To do so, every Saturday, the Jamaica Benevolent Arm & Cultural Center runs a food pantry with produce provided by Mott Haven Fridge Network from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., which at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was serving more than 300 people on a weekly basis. The issue of food insecurity is one that Kassandra is particularly interested in solving, though she believes doing so has become increasingly more difficult. “It’s hard because I think it really is about capitalism. It’s more profitable for a city to have a McDonald’s than a supermarket.” In many urban centers, there exist pockets known as food deserts, or areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food, in contrast to areas with higher access to supermarkets and vegetable shops. To combat this Kassandra believes we should work to “make it easier for street vendors to sell their fruit or vegetables. [We need to] set up fruit stands and farmer markets closer.” Additionally, another important step is educating community members on how to prepare fresh produce once they have access to it so they can better understand how to properly incorporate it into their everyday diet.
In the past, Jamaica Benevolent has hosted a community health fair, sneaker giveaway with the nonprofit Its From The Sole, voter registration drive for the 2020 election, and mental health first aid classes that taught participants how to recognize mental illnesses and identify the signs and symptoms of a mental health breakdown. In partnership with New York City and Lutheran Social Services, Jamaica Benevolent also conducted an immigrant workers forum to inform immigrants about their rights. Overall, Kassandra stressed the importance of collaboration and referring individuals to different organizations that are providing essential resources not available through Jamaica Benevolent. “Partnerships are key. Our organization doesn’t have [all] the resources nor can we do it all. If there’s someone out there that’s doing something that our community needs, there’s no need for us to reinvent the wheel,” she explained. “I always say go to this person and see what they can do for you if we can’t.” Moreover, for individuals who wish to help out within their community, Kassandra noted that the first step is as simple as reaching out to a local institution to volunteer, especially within your own neighborhood. “I want people to know that if you volunteer you get a sense of pride," she explained. "People [should] have a sense of pride in where they come from and volunteer. It doesn’t have to be every day, it [can] just [be] one small act of kindness."
Learn more about Jamaica Benevolent Arm & Cultural Center
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