Support Sandy Relief Through Food & Culture This Week

You asked for it, so here it is: a compilation of upcoming food-related activities in New York City that will help benefit relief efforts for Sandy. A lot of events have transpired in the last week, but there is still a lot of work to do (and fun to be had while at it). Please see below for a few links on upcoming events happening this week in NYC, and please do add any events or initiatives that you know of in the comments section. Let’s all help spread the word!

Now-Nov. 14: GrowNYC’s Greenmarket Donate-A-Bag Program: Shopping at the Greenmarket this week? You can donate a bag of healthy, fresh food while you’re there to help feed those affected by the hurricane, or volunteer to help out the staff organizing this effort at the markets yourselves.

Nov. 10: The Intercourse, an art gallery and artist-in-residency studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn, is still holding their scheduled performance of Spirit Happening, an evening of art and performance. The studio and its neighboring businesses were devastated by the hurricane, but thanks to the profound will of its owners, they’re still proceeding with its missions of furthering the neighborhood’s cultural and community-driven contributions.

Nov. 11: Pancakes For Sandy at Jimmy’s No. 43: Me and my pal Noah are cooking up one helluva all-you-can-eat pancakes and biscuits ‘n gravy ‘n salad and other Greenmarket-sourced toppings for a special fundraiser brunch! $20 gets you the family-style buffet, and all proceeds will directly benefit the relief efforts in the Rockaways, an area that was devastated by the hurricane.

Nov. 11: New Amsterdam Market’s Annual Peck Slip Pickle Festival will be collecting donations of an optional $3 admission this year to support hurricane relief efforts. The scheduled festival is going on, with an impressive lineup of workshops and talks from local pickling experts, and the market is accepting volunteers at this time now as well.

Nov. 13: Snacky Tunes Vol. 3 Release Party at Cameo Gallery: All proceeds at this bangin’ party will go toward the Red Hook Initiative, which has been spearheading volunteer relief efforts in the seriously stricken community of Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Nov. 14: Rooftop Films Animated Shorts Series at Nitehawk Cinema: All proceeds from this evening of animated shorts will directly benefit Sandy relief efforts. Nitehawk Cinema will also be accepting donations to the Red Cross all week, and its owners will match every dollar of yours to the Red Cross as well.

Nov. 14: Defiance: A Literary Event to Benefit Red Hook at Littlefield: Literary heavy-hitters Philip Gourevitch, Chuck Klosterman, Steve Earle, Kurt Anderson and more are joining forces to present an evening of words for action. The acclaimed writers will be reading works that illuminate the past and present of Red Hook, Brooklyn, for this special one-night only benefit to support its troubled current situation.

Nov. 14: Sandy Relief Comedy Benefit by the Lucas Bros. and Greenpointers.com: An evening of laughs provided by local comedians will help buffer the cause of organizations helping to provide hurricane relief.

Now-end of November: Pies ‘n Thighs is donating $1 from every chicken or pork box to the Red Cross.

Now-?: The Meatball Shop is accepting blanket donations, and you’ll get a free order of “naked” meatballs with every blanket donated.

For other opportunities to volunteer and provide, follow the updates or give directly to Occupy Sandy, the Brooklyn Recovery Fund, the Red Hook Initiative, the Greenpoint Reform Church Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City’s Hurricane Relief pages. Curious about how the storm has affected your favorite local food businesses? Tune into Heritage Radio Network, which has been recording overtime to capture the stories of the hurricane’s effect on small local businesses in food service this past week.