Agencies team with ‘an avenger’ to create fund for grocery workers

By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer

The United Way of Southeast Louisiana, the New Orleans Council on Aging and Entergy New Orleans teamed up with New Orleans native and movie star Anthony Mackie (the Falcon in Marvel’s “Avengers” films) to launch the United for Grocery Workers Relief Fund to support struggling grocery store workers in Orleans Parish.

With a limit of one application per household, grocery store workers in Orleans Parish can apply to receive a one-time $150 direct credit for their Entergy New Orleans utility bills. Applicants will need to provide a current Entergy bill to show proof of residence and a pay stub from their grocery store. The online application is available at UnitedWaySELA.org/UnitedForGroceryWorkers. If workers do not have access to the Internet, they should contact the United Way of Southeast Louisiana directly at (504) 822-5540. The public can also contribute to the fund at the same website.

An estimated 2,500 individuals work for Orleans Parish grocery stores. The fund is a way to show thanks and appreciation to individual workers who put themselves at risk of contracting COVID-19 during the pandemic so the rest of the city could get food on a regular basis.

“The pandemic allowed us to see who the essential workers really are in this country,” said Sandra Diggs-Miller, assistant general counsel for Entergy New Orleans. “Grocery store workers are truly the unsung heroes in our community.”

For many people, visits to the grocery store don’t just provide food. They provide a sense of community. Mackie said he visits his local grocery store three to four times a week and knows many of the workers by name. They know him well enough to offer positive and negative reviews of his latest movies.

“The most communal place I have in my life outside the barbershop is the grocery store,” said Mackie.

While many New Orleanians may not be able to afford to donate much considering the city’s high unemployment/underemployment rates during the pandemic, Mackie encouraged local residents to think about how many trips to the grocery store they have taken in the last three months. He said if everyone donated just $1 for every trip during the pandemic, it would add up to a lot of money for people who need it.

“When you work together, you can make a huge difference in the lives of individuals,” said Michael Williamson, president and CEO of the United Way of Southeast Louisiana. “This is a great way to shine a light on essential workers who aren’t being talked about much.”

The project’s founders also hope to raise awareness about the importance of a fair wage for all workers in a New Orleans where the cost of living has dramatically increased since Hurricane Katrina.

“As people’s utilities and bills get higher, their pay stays the same,” said Mackie. “It’s essential that everyone is given a living wage.”

Howard Rodgers, executive director of New Orleans Council on Aging, said he believes the fund will be a big success because it’s in the nature of New Orleanians to help their neighbors.

“We all take care of each other. That’s the family way, that’s the New Orleans way,” said Rodgers. “A small gift will go a long way to ease the worries of grocery store workers who continue to serve us through the pandemic into what is already a busy hurricane season.”

This article originally published in the June 8, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.