Another New York City Climate Week wrapped up on Sunday. I have to say, in the context of major setbacks around climate policy, and devastating cuts to food programs–not to mention world events—it felt really different this year. And our work has never felt more necessary.
I was in New York with our team, and the experience was a rare opportunity to actually be in the same room with so many thought leaders and activists who are with us in this fight. I was honored to participate in multiple panels and round tables as both moderator and speaker, and thanks to powerful sessions organized by Deloitte, Scientista, Emerson Collective, and Hauser & Wirth, I came away with a renewed appreciation for all the amazing minds who are focused on creative climate solutions. I also had the opportunity to talk about our work on television, courtesy of CBS News.
Thursday evening was a highlight – Diane Von Furstenberg graciously welcomed a gathering of our supporters (both existing and new) at her studio, along with our partners, staff, board members, and volunteers. My friend and fellow sustainability advocate Lili Buffett co-hosted with me, and the extraordinarily talented artist Rozzi treated us to a beautiful performance. We also shared the joys of plant-based eating, thanks to the incredible food provided by our NYC-based restaurant partners The Nourish Spot, Planta, VSpot, Candle, Uptown Veg, and Le Botaniste (who just launched a new menu item that benefits Support+Feed).
Because we always try to balance conversation with action, we also organized three large-scale food distributions across the city last week, and demand was so severe that people were lined up for hours to receive delicious and nourishing plant-based meals and fresh produce. I want to sincerely thank our 100+ volunteers, as well as our partners at PS20, WME, Greenwich House Older Adult Center, Voces Latinas, and Betances Health Center for ensuring we were able to connect our services with those who truly need them.
It was frankly an exhausting week, and I wish I could see a clear path toward a brighter future coming out of it, but I’m honestly not there yet. If there’s one refrain I noticed throughout the week, though, it’s that the solutions ARE out there–we just have to work together to put them into action. And as the great Joan Baez once said, action is the antidote to despair.