“We’re giving food. But it's also giving people that sense of dignity back.”

Claudia Perez
Grassroots Grocer

“I’m Claudia Perez. This will be my 8th year being the Tenant Association President of Washington Houses, with 14 buildings, 1518 apartments..3500 people…thousands of people.

And I’m a Grassroots Grocer.

I feel like I try to care for all of my residents because you get to know people and as a leader I always want to care for them. I call them my wayward children, meaning my community. I treat them all as family.

I'm a 47 year old mom with a one year old at this point and I don't even know how I do it half the time. I really don't.

I do have a strong family structure and backing from my husband and my older kids and I would say through them and their support that's why I'm able to give back to the community the way that I do.

In Washington Houses, we live in what I call a food desert. Food is expensive. Fruits and vegetables are the most expensive things in the stores. 7-8 bucks for a box of strawberries.

And a lot of the time people end up with food that's not healthy. But it's cheap and fills you up. That’s why they have those $3 meals. And that's why Grassroots…we give them access to those fresh fruits and vegetables.

I also say, not only the need is being met but we're building a sense of community.

“I want to say to people who are hearing about Grassroots Grocery: Everything is needed. I need you to understand if you're gonna give, give what you can and then give more.”

Food connects through so much in the community. Take our seniors: when the price of food goes up doesn’t mean their income goes up. So one one thing alleviates the other.

So..,it’s more than just food. Food is for the soul. Food feeds the soul.

I always say East Harlem saved my life.

I mean it like this: I did not grow up in public housing. My mom, we went from an apartment to owning her own home so it wasn't like my home upbringing was bad. My mother is still my hero and inspiration.

But I was looking for something.

Being a child of an immigrant; my mother is from Central America, Honduras. There were 2% Hispanics in Brooklyn where I lived.

So I used to get into a lot of trouble. I was out in the streets you know and doing my thing and it came to a point where I just started doing things that was leading me down that wrong path where I would have been incarcerated.

But I had a friend in high school whose mom owned the beauty parlor on 3rd Ave. between 99th and 100th street. She asked me to come up.

So here is this Brooklyn girl coming up here and I promise you when I got off that 6 train on 103rd and I saw my people…I'm gonna just say it like that.. it was like, this is where I belong. I finally could identify with who I was.

And the food. The food! That’s what did it!

Why do I keep on going?

Last Christmas a mom came from outside the projects—somebody must have told her so she came and she got the groceries and she stood there and she just started crying.

I'm like, oh my God what happened? She said ‘no miss you don't understand. I just came out of the shelter and I had my two daughters and I didn't know where I was gonna get a meal for my kids.’

I've heard many stories similar but to be in front of someone and they're looking at you like you're their saving grace…I'm only human and then I know I'm doing …this is God's work.

What we're doing it's giving people that sense of dignity back. Because they know they're getting access without having to you know pull out ID or state that they're having a problem.

They are welcome here.

Grassroots Grocers like Claudia are the beating heart of hyper-local food deliveries. They make sure healthy rescued produce gets to our neighbors…week after week, year after year.

Team up with Claudia to help her get that critical work done. Please give now to Grassroots Grocery.