Rejected!: South Bronx CSA turns down Trader Joe’s donation until TJ’s “shows a change of values”…


Plus… Protests set for May 1st at Trader Joe’s stores in 18, 19, 22 different cities… and counting!

On April 22, an email came in to the CIW’s general account that knocked us all here in Immokalee for a loop (a really good loop). It was such an inspiring email that we thought the best thing to do was to simply share it in its entirety with everyone involved in the Campaign for Fair Food. So, without further ado, here it is:

To the great people at CIW,My name is Steven Deheeger and I am proud to represent the South Bronx CSA, a community organization committed to agricultural and social justice. Our mission is to transform the South Bronx from a food desert into an accessible and affordable food oasis.

I am writing to let you know that we have declined to accept a donation from Trader Joe’s in light of their refusal to recognize the human dignity of the farmers who supply their company. Please find our letter attached below. We are also writing to let you know that we wholeheartedly support your struggle and would be excited to discuss any opportunities to move forward together.

LETTER:

In light of the ongoing efforts by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to secure a living wage for the farmers that work so hard to supply Trader Joe’s and your company’s consequent refusal to meet that demand, the South Bronx CSA cannot accept your donation.

As a community organization working towards creating affordable access to healthy food for everyone, we also recognize the importance of human dignity and the systematic lack of respect for immigrant workers across the United States. We urge Trader Joe’s to recognize the dignity of the farmers that labor in the fields by compensating them with a decent, living wage.

Only after Trader Joe’s has shown a change in values will the South Bronx CSA be proud to have any relation to Trader Joe’s. Please make our response known amongst your coworkers and urge them to do all they can to create change from within. For more information, please visit https://www.ciw-online.org/. Thank you for understanding.

To say that this remarkably selfless act of solidarity is appreciated is a vast understatement (any small organization fighting to survive in these days of economic crisis knows just how tough a decision it is to turn down funding). It is both a truly powerful demonstration of commitment to a more just food system on the part of our friends at the South Bronx CSA and a resounding message to Trader Joe’s that this campaign — a campaign that resonates particularly well with the company’s target market, people who think about the food they eat — is only getting started.

And growing rapidly, too!… The picture at the top of this post is from an action in North Beach, San Francisco, that took place on Sunday, April 17th, and this coming weekend a national call for action has been launched in the Trader Joe’s campaign, with cities across the country organizing protests at their local Trader Joe’s stores. Coordinated by the folks at Just Harvest USA, the call for action, in celebration of May 1st (international Labor Day), is growing by the week and is expected to reach at least 25 cities by the weekend. Here’s the rundown as it stands today — have a look at the list and join the action in a city near you!:

National May Day ActionsNew York City
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 6:00 pm
Location: Union Square Trader Joe’s (142 E. 14th St.)
Contact: cfaoutreach@gmail.com

New York City
Date/time: Sunday, May 1, 11:00 am
Location: Union Square Trader Joe’s (142 E. 14th St.)
Contact: cfaoutreach@gmail.com

Scarsdale, NY
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 6:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 727 White Plains Rd.
Contact: Roger, roger.n.drew1@gmail.com

Orange, CT
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 6:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 560 Boston Post Rd.
Contact: John, ulaccion@yahoo.com

Portland, ME
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 5:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 87 Marginal Way
Contact: Bob, Bobstpeter@gmail.com

Philadelphia, PA
Date/time: Sunday, May 1, 5:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 2121 Market St. #A
Contact: Rose, rozieozie@gmail.com

Washington, DC
Date/time: Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am
Location: Trader Joe’s, 1101 25th St. NW
Contact: Salvador, sgsarmiento@gmail.com

Baltimore/Towson, MD
Date/time: Sunday, May 1, 5:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 1 East Joppa Rd.
Contact: Sergio, surge208@gmail.com

Atlanta, GA
Date/time: Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am
Location: Trader Joe’s, 931 Monroe Dr NW #B114
Contact: Emiko, lauraemikosoltis@gmail.com

Chicago, IL
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 6:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 3745 N. Lincoln Ave.
Contact: Maya, mayazahzil@live.com

Madison, WI
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 6:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 1864 Monroe St.
Contact: Mike, miguelluna@justcoffee.coop

Minneapolis, MN
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 5:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 4500 Excelsior Blvd.
Contact: Brian, brianpayneyvp@gmail.com

Phoenix, AZ
Date/time: Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am
Location: Trader Joe’s, 4821 North 20th St.
Contact: Gabriel, sanchezg@marlboro.edu

Tucson, AZ
Date/time: Friday, April 28, 6:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 4766 East Grant Rd.
Contact: Raul, nomoreborders@gmail.com

Olympia, WA
Date/time: Saturday, April 29, 10:00 am
Location: Trader Joe’s, 1530 Black Lake Blvd. Southwest
Contact: Clayton, claytonsils@yahoo.com

Santa Cruz, CA
Date/time: Wednesday, April 27, 6:00 pm
Location: March to downtown Trader Joe’s from downtown farmer’s market
Contact: Tim, solseeker3@gmail.com

Los Angeles, CA
Date/time: Saturday, April 30, Noon
Location: Trader Joe’s, 1600 N. Vine St., Hollywood
Contact: Natasha, ndnoriega@gmail.com

Santa Ana, CA
Date/time: Sunday, May 1, 10:30 am
Location: Trader Joe’s, 3329 S. Bristol St. (picket followed by march to downtown Santa Ana to join May Day festivities)
Contact: Melody, melody@sfalliance.org

Albuquerque, NM
Date/time: Friday, April 29, 6:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 2200 Uptown Loop NE
Contact: Candelario, candemetzli@gmail.com

Pittsburgh, PA
Date/time: Sunday, May 1, 3:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 6343 Penn Ave.
Contact: Kate, leccik@duq.edu

Hartsdale, NY
Date/time: Saturday, April 30, 10:00 am
Location: Trader Joe’s, 215 N. Central Ave.
Contact: Jalal, jalal.sabur@gmail.com

Cleveland, OH
Date/time: Sunday, May 1, 4:00 pm
Location: Trader Joe’s, 28809 Chagrin Blvd.
Contact: Julia, solowjr@jmu.edu

If you don’t see your city here and would like to participate, contact damara@justharvestusa.org today!separator-internal