Nov 17, 2024: Queens Mutual Aid & Reflection
Veggie Nuggets, Kaleidospace, and Street Works/MJN held our 2nd small potluck on Sunday, 11/17 @ 7:30pm @ 49-06 Skillman Avenue (Between 49th and 50th Street) Woodside, NY 11377, to continue planning next steps on mutual aid network building, hold space for civic education, and continue to be together as we think about what our communities need to support justice, including climate justice, in 2025 and beyond. This time, we brought light snacks only; folks also brought their own meals.
Add your voice against casino development
Queens Future, Met Owner Steve Cohen's firm, seeks city land use approval (ULURP) to take 78 acres of parkland next to Citi Field for a 3.7 million square foot casino & hotel complex. This massive project will displace local businesses + residents, build a predatory tourism center in our community, destroy and privatize valuable open, public, green space, dump sewage into Flushing Bay, and dramatically change the identity of Queens.
The city has rushed this through, including skipping real evaluation of displacement and environmental impacts. This project most affects East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, North and South Corona, Corona Heights, Elmhurst, Bay Terrace, College Point, Beechhurst, Flushing, Malba, Queensborough Hill, Whitestone, and Willets Point.
The project is now up for community board review, and we can share concerns before the boards vote. See below for the community board that applies to you. If you can't make a meeting, you could still write in. Testimony must include the following. Omitting this info is subject to invalidation.
Name
Address
Affiliation (nonprofit, agency, CBO, community member)
Community Board contact Info
CB3: communityboard@queenscb3.cityofnewyork.us AND cb3staff@gmail.com (East Elmhurst ~ Jackson Heights ~ North Corona) Meeting will take place Thursday (11/21) at 7pm, Langston Hughes Library, 100-01 Northern Blvd, Corona, NY 11368.
CB4: qn04@cb.nyc.gov (Corona (south of Roosevelt Avenue), Corona Heights, and Elmhurst)
CB7: qn07@cb.nyc.gov (Bay Terrace - College Point - Beechhurst - Flushing - Malba - Queensborough Hill - Whitestone - Willets Point)
The experts
From Queens Neighborhoods United
From Guardians of Flushing Bay.
Mutual Aid
The primary focus this day was on defining activities we can and want to take on to foster mutual aid and community care. Below are guiding principles (bold); some potential ways to live by them that are still a question (?); and those we’re ready to move forward with (!)
Stay true to purpose: Respond to a need, networks don’t always need to scale to be effective, trust, solidarity not charity!
Understand who is already doing this work: Collect/share resources? Newsletter? Listserv?
Build community with and support other mutual aid networks
Learn from wisdoms by meeting them, and visiting their spaces!
Contribute to existing projects where we’re needed!
Center joy, and what fills our spirits
Continue to ask each other what would bring us joy and design activities around that!
Integrate creativity!
Stay connected: In person meetings at least once a month! Mobile-friendly channel! (Must establish norms)
Be on the street
Roosevelt Avenue!
Community gardens and parks!
Planning (so far)
Contribute to an existing coat drive
Visit local community gardens
Visit with other mutual aid collectives
Plan a care/wellness event
