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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of Interfaith Center of New York, on Cultural Competency in Food for Diverse Religious Observances
2:16:28
ยท
3 min
Chloe Breyer, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of New York, spoke in favor of Intro 905, emphasizing the importance of culturally competent food in supporting diverse religious observances in NYC shelters. She highlighted the organization's work with immigrant faith leaders and the challenges faced by asylum seekers in accessing appropriate meals, particularly during religious observances like Ramadan.
- Discussed the Interfaith Center's 25-year history of working with grassroots immigrant faith leaders and providing civics training
- Highlighted issues faced by Black migrants in shelters during Ramadan, including inadequate food security and inappropriate meal delivery timing
- Emphasized that accommodating religious practices serves the long-term cohesion and strength of New York City
Chloe Breyer
2:16:28
Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak in favor of intro number nine zero five.
2:16:35
I'm gonna speak today from the perspective of Interfaith Center of New York and the focus on cultural competency, competent food as a one way of approaching or supporting the diverse religious observances of our city.
2:16:54
So I'll take a rather looking back or a wider view.
2:16:59
So the Interface Center of New York has worked for and with grassroots immigrant faith leaders for the last twenty five years.
2:17:07
Civics training for grassroots faith leaders has been part of what we do.
2:17:11
And we do that because we believe this strengthens New York civil society overall.
2:17:17
Public accommodations for the newest community members and for New York's diverse community members help the people of this great city understand themselves as New Yorkers.
2:17:29
So small administrative changes that allow for the particularly the religiously diverse practices of members of the city, be it extending jury duty, be it public school holidays, be it halal and kosher, in New York's public schools, these make a huge difference.
2:17:53
So fast forward then to 2022 when buses started arriving in our city from Texas.
2:18:02
And we began working with the Herc system and heard a huge number of complaints about the food, many of which have been spoke about today.
2:18:13
If you fast forward again just to last year, to echo Adamabah, Black migrants who were residing in shelters around the city but spending a lot of time in mosques in the Bronx trying to celebrate Ramadan but doing so without adequate food security.
2:18:34
They were fasting all day and breaking those fasts at mosques with something as simple as a loaf of bread.
2:18:42
The issue was that the food provided by the shelters, while recognizing it was Ramadan, delivered all the food for a twenty four hour period at one time.
2:18:56
And so they were looking for other places.
2:18:58
We, the Interfaith Center, raised over worked with other partners to raise create 54,000 meals that were all resourced by local, to council member Brewer's point, local restaurants.
2:19:15
So a huge outpouring by the community.
2:19:19
The money went to local restaurants and then iftar meals were provided.
2:19:24
So in conclusion, the accommodations of religious practices for the new and other members of our city is not just about the interest of the individual, but also serve for the long term cohesion and strength of our great city.
Julie Won
2:19:41
Thank you.