Community Change, Inspired By 9/11

The events of 9/11 have impacted almost everyone in the neighborhood, but for one local resident, the tragedy was the impetus for a career in serving others.

After helping to promote commercial businesses for over 35 years, DK Holland made a drastic career switch after 9/11 to work with socially progressive organizations.  In 2008, Holland helped start the Greene Hill Food Co-Op, which serves the Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, and Bed-Stuy neighborhoods by providing healthy and locally grown organic food at affordable prices.

“You can’t affect everything in life, but you can affect where your food comes from and help build a community around it,” said Holland. “I realized that a huge number of people in the community felt the same as well.”

The member-owned and operated co-op has over 350 active participants,  with 70 of them helping to make decisions about the overall operation. They recently took over a 2,700 square foot store on 18 Putnam Ave. that is open once every two weeks, and where all members commit to working for a limited number of hours in order to keep prices low.

The storefront currently acts as a buying club, where members work to receive, sort orders and arrange to pick them up at designated times, but the high demand is quickly leading the Co-op to look at opening the store for additional days.

“We’re getting 65 orders every two weeks, which basically means we’re supplying food for 65 families,” said Holland. “As we get up there in the number of orders, we’ll add more ordering and pick up days, plus provide extra flexibility for our members. The more we are open, the more members work, and the more we are fulfilling our mission to provide affordable high quality food through community.”

Membership requires a one-time, $175 investment that includes an administrative fee, and participation in the buying club requires a $50 security deposit, but Holland said the Co-op has a committee that deals with special options for payment.

“We offer very liberal payment options and for people with extenuating circumstances, like a family about to have a child or a person who's handicapped, we are considering policies that will make it possible for them to be part of the Co-op regardless," said Holland.

Holland, who worked as a partner in a design firm prior to 9/11, said she was struck by the sense of community throughout Brooklyn in the aftermath of the attacks.

“You couldn’t get into Manhattan for a couple of days after the attacks, so we were all almost happily stuck with each other,” said Holland. “This community is unbelievable, almost like a pocket within a pocket.”

She began to increase her work in helping non-profits throughout the country brand themselves, and continued her philanthropic work through a number of endeavors. In addition to creating CitizenME, she continued to serve locally as editor-in-chief of The Hill, which focuses on historic preservation, development and rejuvenation of the area, and as a writer for Communication Arts Magazine.

In addition, she also teaches in MFA programs at the School of Visual Arts and Pratt, and helped to organize a major fundraiser for President Obama prior to his election.

Now, Holland is finding time to help the Co-op expand by hosting a fundraiser this Saturday. The Brooklyn Food Fest will be held this Saturday from 6:30 p.m.-2:00 a.m. at the Renken Dairy Building, located at 172 Classon Ave., between Myrtle and Park Aves.  

The event will include live jazz, a silent auction , after-party, and food and drink donated from local vendors.

“We want to raise money to have the store be open full-time and also supplement the members investment,” said Holland.

Tickets for the fundraiser are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Kids under 12 get in free. Advance tickets can be purchased online at this link.