Thank You for Standing With Us - Final Petition Update

Hi Everyone, 

We’re officially closing our petition, and we want to thank every single person who signed, shared, and showed up for us and the work we do to increase food access throughout Queens. Your support has meant the world to us.

Unfortunately, despite repeated outreach, our calls to elected officials have largely been met with silence. As of now, we still do not have a confirmed location for our LIC Gantry Lifeline Groceries pick-ups or sliding scale farm stand beyond this fall. This uncertainty puts the future of critical food access programs at risk.

We also feel it’s important to address the misinformation that’s been circulated. Council Member Julie Won and her office have falsely stated that we “broke our lease,” when in fact, our departure was due to scheduled construction by the property owner, a fact clearly documented and communicated in emails from our landlord. This misrepresentation undermines the trust we've worked so hard to build and diverts attention from the real issue: the urgent need for community-centered food infrastructure in Long Island City. 

We have done everything in our power to continue our work and to collaborate in good faith with our local LIC elected leaders. The elected leaders that have been responsive are limited in their ability to support as they are outside of the districts we serve. We remain open and willing to work with any official who is serious about helping us find a home for our programming. 

This petition may be closing, but our fight to nourish our neighbors will never end. Thank you for standing with us. 

With gratitude,
The Connected Chef Team