Rachel Nelson prepared barbecued chicken, burgers and hot dogs to be served Friday afternoon outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Nelson, founder and president of Twin Cities Relief Initiative, said her group began handing out free essential items, including food, after George Floyd's killing last spring. The group's mission has expanded to Brooklyn Center — aiding protesters, residents and anyone else in need — since 20-year-old Daunte Wright was shot and killed by police officer Kimberly Potter in that suburb on Sunday.
"This is what we do. We feed the protesters, we feed the situation," Nelson said. "We want to try to turn the pain and the hostility into a conversation — and you need food to do that."
Churches, nonprofits including the Red Cross, and other organizations are stepping up to help in Brooklyn Center, where protests and police clashes have led to tear gas exposure, noise and sleepless nights for residents of nearby apartment buildings. Store closures and the lack of transportation have left many in the city of 30,000 empty-handed.
Many residents of the apartments near the police station are now staying at local hotels after money was raised for that purpose. Their relocation means they need food and supplies.
A map of organizations offering mutual aid (twin-cities-mutual-aid.org) shows dozens of options for donating and picking up needed items.
Brooklyn United Methodist Church is home to nonprofit West African Family and Community Services and its food shelf, which offers grocery staples and culturally specific food to feed the area's diverse population. On Friday morning, 15 cars were waiting when the food shelf opened.
"[The need] is high because most of the grocery stores have closed," said Edmund Ocansey, executive director of West African Family and Community Services.
