How did you end up as a gallerist who also hands out food to the poor?
In March of 2020 the pandemic basically shut our state down. I posted on Facebook does anybody need any food to be delivered? I got an overwhelming response.
The schools were closed; the restaurants were closed; distribution companies had extra food they couldn’t move. I called some people to figure what to do. I called Hue-Chan Karels, who has Alkemē now. She immediately stepped into high gear, and we developed recipes that were ginger-rich, turmeric-rich – since there was so much fear and everyone wanted strong immune systems.
I had a list of 500 households who needed food. The Food Depot and Kitchen Angels were already working as hard as they could, but folks needed more. I tried to fill in the gaps. I had a team of volunteers and we did boxed deliveries of vegetables and meat from Shamrock and other food distributors. Sean Hamm at Iconik gave me milk and eggs.
Now, I’ve applied for a non-profit. It’s called Los Compañeros. We help people on the street, one by one, to make their life better. Do they need a car? We’ll raise money to get them a car. Get a mechanic to donate their labor hours to keep that car going. Eliminate the roadblocks that stymie people. We open the door, and they have to step through it.
If think about my identity, I’ve never felt I knew who I was so much as when I was serving people.
I feel like this is who I am.
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Photo Courtesy Bobby Beals
