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Kombucha Toast, Special Guest Speakers,
Local, Affordable & Organic Food

Windsor Terrace Food Coop founders and members, along with Assemblymember Robert Carroll and Councilmember Shahana Hanif, celebrated the Coop’s 10-year history on November 19, 2022 with a kombucha toast and discussed its work to serve the community, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Coop was first created to address the loss of neighborhood grocery stores in 2012 and ensure that the Windsor Terrace and Kensington communities had continued access to healthy, local and organic food. The Coop first opened its door at 825 Caton Avenue in March 2015 after three years of community organizing. Nearly 800 neighbors have been members during our first seven years of store operation. Over the years, the Coop has increased the number of products on its shelves, including from local bakeries and other Brooklyn-made goods, as well as organic produce from farms in the New York City area.

The Coop has continued to serve an important role in the community, and during the pandemic partnered with local restaurants to take over their ingredient orders. It also worked with local community groups like People in Need, and hosted a donation drive allowing members to use their pandemic P-EBT school aid to purchase local, organic food for neighborhood families.

The Coop also kicked off its latest Open House event, which will allow all community members to walk in and shop on the following days:

• Thursdays: 3 pm – 8 pm
• Fridays: 9 am – 7 pm
• Saturdays: 10 am – 4 pm

The Coop will remain open to members only on Sundays and Monday. Members of any other Brooklyn food coop are also welcome to shop at any time.

Mon, Tues, Wed: Closed

Thurs: 3 – 8 p.m. (open to everyone)
Fri: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. (open to everyone)
Sat: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (open to everyone)
Sun: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (members and Brooklyn coop members only)

Calling all parents and guardians of NYC school children!

As you may know, you will be receiving P-EBT cards with $420 per student in your household this.

Through a partnership with Kensington-based community organization People In Need, you can use all or some of your P-EBT funds to purchase shares of produce to be distributed to families facing food insecurity.

Just fill out the form below to submit your card info and the amount you would like to spend towards the produce shares and we’ll handle the rest:

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Here’s how it will work:

Every dollar spent from your P-EBT card will buy fruits and vegetables from the co-op’s suppliers. These will be purchased at wholesale cost with no markup added from WTFC, meaning you get more value for each dollar than if this money was spent at retail stores.

The produce will then be donated to People In Need who, with the help of their volunteers, will box the produce with additional kitchen staples and deliver them to families in our community.

There are two ways you can participate:

Online: Simply fill out and submit the form above to make the payment remotely, once for each card. We will then process your card info at the co-op register during our off-hours.

In the co-op: Bring your P-EBT card into the co-op and tell the member at the register that you want to put money towards a “Produce Box”.

In both cases, you can contribute any amount you wish and you will receive a receipt for your tax deductible donation of food to PIN.

If you have questions about participating, please contact wtfcpebt@gmail.com.

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More about the P-EBT Program:

The Pandemic EBT, or P-EBT, program provides every household with a child attending a public school (and some private) with $420 per child. This is given to all families of eligible school children, regardless of income or immigration status as it is intended to replace the free lunch program children access while physically attending school.

This money will be sent out to recipients in three waves throughout the Summer, each with different specifics on how it will be received.

If your household is currently enrolled in SNAP and/or Public Assistance:
The money will have been added to your EBT card in two installations throughout June.

If your household is currently enrolled in Medicaid but not SNAP or Public Assistance:
The money will have been added to your Medicaid card at the end of June.

If your household is not currently enrolled in SNAP, Public Assistance, or Medicaid:
You will be sent a new card with the money added before the end of August.

Learn more about P-EBT from New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and from Community Food Advocates (multilingual).

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About the People In Need:

Throughout the pandemic Nowshin Ali, founder of People In Need, has mobilized dozens of volunteers and raised tens of thousands of dollars to feed our neighbors, including immigrants, low income, elderly, disabled, single parents, and those who are COVID-19 positive. True people power, right here in the heart of Brooklyn!

You can learn more about People In Need or donate directly via their GoFundMe page. You can also read coverage about Nowshin and People In Need by Bklyner.

Dear WTFC Members,

The events of the past few weeks make it clear yet again that we all must stand against injustice and reaffirm to all that Black Lives Matter. The WTFC Board of Directors stands in opposition to a system that allows for racist killings of black people and the lack of justice served to those responsible. We also object to the violent silencing by police of those who wish to peacefully speak out against injustice, including what happened to our neighbors mere blocks away in Flatbush over this past weekend. If you have marched in protest, are grieving, or have comforted someone who is grieving, you are a part of the change that is needed. As a community we have the gift and responsibility to fortify one another and fight for the world we all deserve. We must each do what we can to change a system that perpetuates injustice. If you’re searching for a way to contribute, here is a list of frequently updated resources — petitions to sign, organizations to support, bail funds to donate to, and anti-racism materials, among others.

We recognize that our Food Coop is only one small part of actualizing a better world, but remember that this is your Coop to do so. In the past several months, the community of our Coop has come together to withstand and flourish in unimaginable and unparalleled circumstances. The WTFC Board of Directors is in gratitude and awe of the leadership and hard work of all of our members, and especially our managers. We are amazed by what we have accomplished together. Thank you.

We cannot say it enough: Black Lives Matter.

In unity,

Board of Directors, Windsor Terrace Food Coop

Charlotte Chapman, MC Forelle, Jeremiah Fox, Rosanna Gowell, Sheila McDevitt, Jack O’Connell and Corey Tegeler