2022 is coming to a close, and we want to take a moment for reflection and heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated to us this year and in years past and to our partners who have supported our efforts. Without you, none of this would be possible, and we are deeply grateful.

In 2022 we were able to distribute 1,039lbs of fresh food through Friendly CSA and $12,000 in commissary funds to people held on Rikers and those in upstate prisons! Compared to last year's numbers, an extra 798 lbs of food was sent inside and we doubled our membership! We are currently sending our Friendly CSA newsletter to 62 members inside spread across 18 facilities.

 A considerable growth point for the Friendly CSA was developing a relationship with Brooklyn Supported Agriculture. Their support has allowed us to streamline our ordering, packing, and shipping of the CSA packages, which has been invaluable to us. 

We also had the tremendous opportunity to grow our own food on a plot kindly given to us by our friends at Brooklyn Grange at their Sunset Park location. Growing food locally and being able to supplement the CSA boxes have been a dream we have held for some time. Seeing this dream come to fruition after many years is incredible. Thank you, Brooklyn Grange! We are excited about the next growing season and where 2023 will take us!

Alongside the partnerships we have developed with Brooklyn Supported Agriculture and Brooklyn Grange, we began a monthly garden club with the amazing people at Brooklyn Phoenix House. Once a month, Garden Club gathers to celebrate each other and nature. Recently we set up and started our hydroponics tower, which is already yielding a harvest! We are incredibly thankful for the support and confidence everyone has given us at Phoenix House. We can not wait for another year of Garden Club!

An important goal for us in 2023 is to increase how many people we can send CSA packages to. This has been an ongoing goal for us but in 2022 became much more pressing with the harmful package ban set in place earlier this year. This ban has effectively stripped away vital points of connection for people who are incarcerated to their friends, family, and loved ones—no longer allowing people to send their loved ones food packages from home and forcing them to use vendors with limited options and much higher prices. Since this package ban went into effect, we are very grateful that our CSA packages have still been allowed in most facilities, but this means there is an even greater need we need to work towards meeting.  

Again we want to thank you all for your support in any way you have been able to give it. We can not say it enough that it would not have been possible without it. Here’s to 2022 and another year ahead!

much love

RU