We at Duende Productions feel that it is exceedingly important to give back to those who have welcomed us into their lives and trusted us to tell their stories. Throughout the filming process, we have been invariably humbled and overwhelmed by the ceaseless generosity and compassion shown by the members of the organizations we have chosen as beneficiaries for this campaign. We know you will find their work as inspiring as we do.
As we continue to journey deeper into the heart of New York, the beneficiaries of this fundraiser might increase or shift based on need, so please be sure to check the list of current beneficiaries for updates. We have included additional information about each organization at the bottom of the page.
CURRENT CAMPAIGN BENEFICIARIES:
- City Harvest
- Guns Down, Life Up
- Sauce Restaurant and Pizzeria
- Save Our Streets
- Served Natural
- The Emergency Task Force
PLEASE donate today... and if you can't donate, please share with friends via text and social media - a share is just as valuable as a donation. THANK YOU.
And we would love to hear from you! If you have recommendations of local organizations we should check out, or if you or someone you know would like to share your story with us, please reach out at duendeprods@gmail.com
OVERVIEW OF ONE LONG DAY
The aim of our documentary (working title One Long Day) is to tell the stories the news isn't covering - to capture the daily lives of New Yorkers as they navigate the multitude of uncertainties stemming from the Coronavirus pandemic. Anyone who has ever lived in, or even visited, our city knows, that what makes New York, New York, is its people. They are the very fiber of what makes the city vibrant, eclectic and unforgettable. And while those who were driven from its boroughs (by necessity or by choice) are left wondering what version of the city they will find upon their return, those who stayed have been charged with the responsibility of writing the new New York narrative.
The widespread ramifications of this pandemic have forced each and every one of us to become more engaged not only with our own choices and actions, but also with the choices and actions of those around us. The question we ask ourselves is no longer "who have we been," or "who we are now," but "who will we become."
What altered version of New York will we find when we emerge from the shadow of COVID-19? Do we really want things to go back to normal? Or should we use this time to enact and propel the changes we want to see in our city? As we continue hear more stories and meet more people, it becomes clearer that each act of kindness, generosity, and selflessness, is also met with the presence of suffering, desperation, and sorrow - and it is that fragile balance of light and dark that will be crucial in understanding the realities faced by those who stayed.
Among those whose stories we aim to tell are small business owners, members of the Emergency Task Force, healthcare workers, non-profits dedicated to feeding the hungry, teachers, maintenance workers, landlords, florists, 1199 Union members, members of the homeless community, police officers and firefighters, and landmark restaurant owners and the list grows by the day.
Because ultimately, regardless of whether the government has categorized you as such...
Every New Yorker is essential.
Thank you for your support.
*CAMPAIGN BENEFICIARIES IN DETAIL*
CITY HARVEST
City Harvest is New York City's private response to hunger and largest food rescue organization. Since 1982, their trucks have been out on the road every day rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste, and delivering it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community partners across the five boroughs. Designated an essential service by New York State at the start of the COVID-19 crisis, City Harvest has scaled up its operations significantly in order to meet the skyrocketing need across New York City. Even before the crisis, 2.5 million working-age New Yorkers were struggling to make ends meet. Now, many more are experiencing crippling financial hardship, and individuals who have never before needed food assistance are turning to soup kitchens and food pantries to help feed themselves and their families. City Harvest's trucks continue to be on the road rescuing and delivering food for community food programs across the city, their Mobile Markets are maintaining their schedules and are continuing to distribute free, fresh produce and nutritious shelf-stable foods to families citywide, and they have set up Emergency Food Distribution sites in high-need neighborhoods. City Harvest will rescue and deliver nearly 81 million pounds of food by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2020, nearly 17 million more pounds than projected at the beginning of the year.
To learn more about their work, visit cityharvest.org.
GUNS DOWN, LIFE UP
Guns Down, Life Up (GDLU) is an initiative that brings together public health experts and community leaders around New York City to stop the cycle of gun violence. Using a community-centered public health approach, GDLU engages partners across all boroughs, to prevent and interrupt violence and empower youth, ages 10-18, to fulfill their potential by leading safer, healthier lives.
GDLU works with a variety of community partners who are doing life-changing work in communities at risk - finding solutions to help lift our youth out of violence and set them on a path to brighter futures. GDLU holds programs at Harlem Hospital, Kings County Hospital and Lincoln Medical Center, and count as allies such organizations as Cure Violence, Harlem SNUG, Man UP Inc, Harlem Mothers SAVE and Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) which is also a beneficiary of this campaign.
To learn more about their work, visit http://www.gunsdownlifeup.org
SAUCE PIZZERIA & RESTAURANT
In mid-March 2020, Sauce Pizzeria became one of the first restaurants in New York City to restructure their business to start delivering food to medical professionals and first responders, to whom a delicious hot meal was a scarce luxury. In the weeks following, the Sauce team quickly ramped up their daily pizza production to accommodate the flood of donation requests coming in on behalf of more than 42 hospitals, along with many NYPD precincts and FDNY stations across the city.
As the number of unemployed and homeless New Yorkers continued to escalate at an alarming rate, Sauce recognized that the need for a hot meal was more widespread than anyone anticipated. They responded by partnering with City Harvest, the Bowery Mission, and other organizations dedicated to helping and feeding hungry New Yorkers - expanding their donation sites to include food banks, homeless shelters, and food pantries. Most recently, Sauce has included peaceful protestors on their donation platform, and have been handing out slices to New Yorkers rallying for racial equality.
As of May 27th (when this post was written), Sauce Pizzeria has donated an astonishing 14,300 pizzas to those in need, and that number increases exponentially by the day. They have committed to continuing this program until there is no longer a need for their support.
In their words: We believe pizza makes people smile, and that a random act of kindness in the form of pizza can turn someone's despair into hope."
To learn more about their work, visit https://www.saucepizzeria.com
SAVE OUR STREETS
Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) is a community-based effort to end gun violence in our neighborhoods. The S.O.S. Brooklyn staff prevent gun violence from occurring in two target areas within the neighborhoods of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant by mediating conflicts that may end in gun violence and acting as peer counselors to the people who are at risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence. The S.O.S. teams work closely with neighborhood leaders and businesses to promote a visible and public message against gun violence, encouraging local voices to articulate that shooting is unacceptable behavior. S.O.S. Brooklyn is a project of Neighbors in Action and the Center for Court Innovation and is New York's first and longest-standing Cure Violence site.
S.O.S.'s work in helping to reduce injuries and death resulting from gun violence continues to be utterly crucial - not only for the lives it directly saves directly but for those it saves indirectly as well. As COVID-19 continues to bear down on our city, concerns continue to mount over shortages of hospital beds and healthcare staff. With every gun violence injury or death prevented by the tireless work of the GDLU, they save another life by freeing up beds and staff to care for those affected by the virus.
To learn more about their work, visit http://neighborsinaction.org/sos/
SERVED NATURAL
We want to help people live better, perform better, work better - and eat better.
That is the main objective of Served Natural, a healthy meal delivery service founded in February 2020 by two brothers, Jared and Kyle Lyons. And achieving it is entirely crucial to the survival of our city.
The onslaught of COVID-19 has rendered it extremely difficult to find healthy and nutritious food - an issue that only worsens with nightfall. Many restaurants have been forced to close and grocery store shelves lay bare. A city that once proffered tens of thousands of hearty meals for delivery at all hours of the day and night, now finds itself nearly devoid of nourishing options. Furthermore, first responders, doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are unable to take even 20 minutes away from their work to find themselves something to eat. And while food can be a source of joy, comfort and pleasure, it is also vital for maintaining the energy and focus they require to continue treating the sick and dying patients in their care.
Enter Served Natural. Their meals are individually and safely packaged, nutritionally balanced, locally sourced and affordable. For every $5 donated, one healthy meal + beverage is delivered to a frontline worker. Their packaging is 100% sustainable/biodegradable. And they have been delivering anywhere from 500 meals to 4,000 meals to hospitals and clinics per day in the Tri-State area depending on need.
As of May 27 (when this post was written), Served Natural has donated and delivered over 80,000 meals to frontline workers - making drops both day and night to ensure everyone gets fed.
To learn more about their work, visit https://servednatural.com
THE EMERGENCY TASK FORCE
The COVID-19 Emergency Task Force (ETF) was established in early March 2020 by Vincent LeVien and the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, in response to the growing number of frontline workers who were struggling to obtain basic health provisions for themselves and their families. Since then, Vincent and the ETF team have been working tirelessly around the clock to procure and distribute personal protective equipment and other essential medical supplies to hospitals, NYPD precincts, FDNY stations and other professionals who are fighting the pandemic on the frontlines. So far, they have managed to acquire over 100,000 of units of masks, sanitizers, gloves, face shields, and other vital protective equipment. Vincent and his team are also responsible for the delivery of over 7,000 pizzas to over 45 hospitals and medical centers throughout the city.
Founder: Vincent LeVien
Staff: Dennis Fisin, Robert Lynch, David Morales, Rob Rich, Joseph Vega, and Wilfredo Vega, Jr.
A DUENDE PRODUCTIONS COLLABORATION
