Occupy Wall Street Street Vendor Project

URL = http://streetvendor.org/ows

Description

By Garth Johnston:

"One side effect of the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zuccotti Park is that local workers who used to eat lunch in the park have been going elsewhere. And the Street Vendor Project (which you know from the Vendy Awards it organizes) also points out that the "extremely generous donations of food to the movement have made business tough for local food vendors." But help is on the way: It was announced today that the Project has teamed up with Occupy Wall Street to let those who want to donate food to the movement do so, while also helping local businesses.

The new deal is pretty simple. Instead of donating food directly to OWS, generous folk can donate right here to the Street Vendor Project, a nonprofit, which will then use that money to buy foods from local vendors to feed the protesters. This way not only do the occupiers get good grub, but hardworking vendors get paid and the FDNY doesn't have to bitch about another set of generators—well, in a perfect world.

The carts affiliated with the Street Vendor Project/OWS include the New York Hot Dog Cart, Sam's Falafel, Aly's Breakfast Cart, Coffee on the Run, Bombay Biryani, NY Life and Fruit Salad Bar, Biryani House, 99% Vegetarian and A-Pou's Taste. You can learn more about the program here. Between this, animal healthcare, all those tents and those porta-potties things down at Zuccotti Park are getting downright civilized." (http://gothamist.com/2011/11/07/street_vendors_team_up_to_feed_occu.php)