This place is more than a community refrigerator and pantry, it is a community arts center in Bushwick where neighbors can express their creativity: it is called ‘Collective Focus’.
“We are many creative people too, who have a talent or a creative expression, art, painting or acting or music,” explained Briana Calderón, from Collectiv Focus.
Calderón, a second-generation Mexican migrant, started this project six months ago with Sarah Rooney. Both decided to rent this place and open it to the community.
Outside are the refrigerators with food for the neighbors and books under the benches.
“It is full of books that the neighbors bring us and we keep them there and when people want to enjoy a book, they simply open the blinds,” added Calderón.
Inside, from 8 in the morning to 9 at night, from Tuesday to Sunday, the neighbors can take clothes from the community closet.
Calderón.
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“They look for different things, not only clothes, but also sheets, mattresses, suitcases, backpacks, anything that one has that one does not occupy at home in good condition,” said Calderón.
The place even has a room to record audio with computers, mixers, professional microphones and musical instruments.
“The only difference between successful people is access to resources, that was what brought us together to create a space in which if someone has talent in music, they can create it here, or in design. A community space,” he said. your part Sarah Rooney.
They pay the rent of the premises with donations and with the sale of artistic products.
“We are going to start working with the indigenous people who make very beautiful hand-made textiles,” Calderón said.
On Tuesdays, this place is filled with around 100 neighbors who come to the free pantry distribution where vegetables and fruits are delivered to the community.
“It is good that they do it because one needs and sometimes it is not enough with food and rent, it helps me a lot every week and one who has children does well,” said a visitor.
This location is located at 1046 Broadway and also allows free use of Wi-Fi and printing. For more information visit the website collectivefocus.site
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