Hi, I’m Elizabeth—an Ecuadorian-Greek/Belgian hybrid and queer New Yorker who gets involved in community spaces wherever I go.

Manos Amigues came into my life earlier this year. During this time, I met and grew close with many people who transited this space day and night. As a regular volunteer, I learned that Manos Amigues is unique in that it feeds bodies and souls. From carefully choosing their menú del día to organizing queer night events, Manos Amigues provides a multi-purpose safe and accessible space for its community members to meet over a meal and come together to enjoy queer cultural scenes.

Though Manos Amigues began as a grassroots crisis response during the pandemic, it continues to have a huge impact on the community. Today, it serves over 5,000 meals a month, provides jobs to an amazing kitchen staff, and fosters a safe space for LGBTQ+ people, migrants, elderly folk, and the unhoused community.

We’re raising funds to ensure that Manos Amigues can continue to provide this support to the local community. Our goal is to raise $30,000 by the end of this year to sustain and grow the project.

Any contribution helps, but if you could find it in your budgets to donate $100 or more, that would be HUGE <3