iEat Green with Bhavani

iEat Green - Guest Eric Jackson - 10.31.19

Eric Jackson is an organizer, educator, and filmmaker, humbly serving as the visionary and a co-founder of Black Yield Institute, committed to building a movement toward Black Land and Food Sovereignty in Baltimore. Currently, he and his team, are committed to a 1.25 acre urban agriculture operation and building a cooperatively-owned grocery store in South Baltimore, while also conducting Black-led research, facilitating political education, and organizing an action network.    

 

Eric has nearly a decade of experience working in and with communities operating programming and helping people to build power and address a myriad of issues, including food inequities. A Baltimore native from the Cherry Hill Community, Eric is the recipient of numerous awards and a public speaker who has presented hundreds of addresses and workshops to diverse groups about food sovereignty, building power, and establishing strong organizations to address complex social issues, specific to people of African Descent. He is affirmed in and secured this work through the love of his family and friends, especially the brilliance of his Queen, Diara, and four children, Oryan, Erian, Amir, & Kamau!

 

Lee Jordan (Eric Jackson)

Lee Jordan is an organizer, mentor, and entrepreneur, currently working as a Community Organizer at Black Yield institute in Baltimore. Lee began working in the community early on, as a mentor, starting in middle school. He continued to grow into roles of leadership becoming team captain of successful men's varsity basketball teams at both the high school and collegiate levels. Off the court, he was outspoken towards issues in his community, while spending his summers counseling at a local community center in East Baltimore.

 

Continuing as a mentor, Lee carried his thirst to be involved over to his college platform at St. Mary's College of Maryland, where he worked with surrounding recreation centers and schools of all levels educating them on the benefits of a higher education. After graduating with a Bachelor in Philosophy and a minor in Computer Science, Lee successfully launched his own business, Qualitees (a custom apparel company), while continuing his work in mentoring. In 2018, he joined the movement toward Black Land and Food Sovereignty and the fight against food issues in Baltimore.

 

Pumpkin Muffins with Crumb Topping, 

Vegan & Gluten-Free 

 

Preheat Oven to 350*- Makes 36 muffins

 

• 2 Tbs ground flax seeds, mixed with 2 Tbs. apple cider and 2 Tbs. water
• 2 cups pumpkin pureé
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup organic oil (safflower, canola or coconut oil)
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs. baking powder
• 2 t. salt
• 2 tbs. baking soda
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. nutmeg
• 1 t. allspice
• 3 ½ cups gluten-free flour
• 1 cup GF oats, ground
• ½ cup coconut

 

• Crumb Topping:
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup GF, Dairy Free flour
• 1/4 cup . GF Oats
• 3 Tbs. organic oil
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½  cup pecans

 

Procedure

1. Combine flax seed, apple cider vinegar and water, in small bowl, and set aside
2. In another bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
3. In another bowl, combine all wet ingredients
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and add in the flax mixture. mix together until combined.
5. Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill 2/3 full. 
6. Sprinkle with the Crumb topping
7. Bake in a 350* oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

 

iEat Green - Nicole Andersen (Pharmacy to Farm)

Nicole Andersen, MS, RDN is Senior Manager, Nutrition Incentives Portfolio, Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She leads the Department’s fruit and vegetable incentive programs including Health Bucks and Pharmacy to Farm Prescriptions. Nicole manages the Department’s Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to support this programming. Nicole has a Master’s of Science degree in nutrition and public health from Teachers College, Columbia University and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

Basic Seitan

4 cups unbleached white flour

10 cups Whole Wheat flour

2 boxes Vital Wheat Gluten

9 cups water 

1 ½ cup tamari

2” ginger piece

3 pieces kombu

Mix together flour, Vital Wheat Gluten and water to make dough. Knead until stiff, approx 10 min. Place in bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to rest for 10 min.

Meanwhile, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add tamari, ginger and kombu. Boil for 15 min. and remove from heat. Allow broth to cool.

Immerse dough in a bowl of warm water and knead to remove starch, constantly changing the water, until it runs clear. (It will take about 8 water changes or more) The final rinse should be in cold water, to tighten the dough.

Separate into 4 equal pieces. Place dough in oiled loaf pans and let rest for 10 minutes. Bring 10 quarts of water to a boil. Add seitan dough and cook for 45 minutes, until the seitan floats in the water. Drain.

Place Seitan in cooled Tamari broth, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 hours. Drain, saving liquid for storage.

Experiment with different flavors, adding garlic and oregano for Italian food, or more ginger and cilantro for Asian food etc.

 

iEat Green - Acadia Tucker

Acadia Tucker is a regenerative farmer, climate activist, and author. Her books are a call to action to citizen gardeners everywhere, and lay the groundwork for planting an organic, regenerative garden. For her, this is gardening as if our future depends on it. 

Before becoming an author, Acadia started a four-season organic market garden in Washington State inspired by farming pioneers Eliot Coleman and Jean-Martin Fortier. While managing the farm, Acadia grew 200 different food crops before heading back to school at the University of British Columbia to complete a Masters in Land and Water Systems. 

She lives in Maine and New Hampshire with her farm dog, Nimbus, and grows hops to support locally sourced craft beer in New England, when she isn't raising perennials in her own backyard.

 

Pumpkin Soup

When I need to make a lot of soup for a large crowd, there is nothing better than an Heirloom Long Island Cheese Pumpkin. The flesh is a bright orange, and when roasted, it caramelizes and gets so sweet, it is perfect for soup! (or pumpkin pie!) One 8 lb pumpkin makes enough soup for 12-18 people!

 

Makes 18 cups- 

 

1– 8-9 lb LI Cheese Pumpkin, cut in      

half, seeds removed, (I got 8 cups of pumpkin pulp from the roasted pumpkin)

10 cups water

2 Tbs. coconut oil

1 Tbs. minced garlic

2 Tbs. fresh minced ginger

2-1/2 t. salt

1 Onion, chopped

4 carrots, cut

4 potatoes, cut into chunks

1 cans coconut milk

4 Tbs. maple syrup 

2 t. cinnamon

1 Tbs. Cardamom

2 t. Coriander

 

1. Lay out the Pumpkin, cut side down, on an oiled roasting pan, lined with parchment paper. 
2. Make a few slits in the pumpkin to let steam out. 
3. Bake at 375 for approximately 1 hour, until pumpkin is soft. Let cool a bit before scooping out the pulp and juices, leaving the skin. Set aside. 
4. Meanwhile, in large stock pot, sauté the onions, potatoes and carrots in the coconut oil with the ginger and garlic. Add the spices and lightly toast for 2 minutes. 
5. Add the pumpkin pulp to the stockpot. 
6. Add 10 cups water 
7. The pumpkin should be covered with liquid by 3”. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes. 
8. Remove from heat, and with an immersion stick, puree the soup until smooth. 
9. Return to stove, and add the coconut milk. If the soup is too thick, add some more water. 
10. Add the maple syrup. Adjust spices and salt to taste. 

iEat Green - Maryam Henein Founder, HoneyColony

Maryam Henein is a Canadian-born investigative journalist, activist, functional medicine consultant, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. She directed the documentary Vanishing of the Bees narrated by Ellen Page. 

Stuffed Chile Rellenos, with Cashew Lime Crema, GF. 

10-12 Large Poblano Peppers for stuffing

Filling

1 onion, chopped

1 serrano pepper, diced 

1 Japanese eggplant, diced (2 cups)

1 yellow summer squash, diced (2 cups)

1 green pepper, iced (1 cup)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tbs. chopped garlic

1-1/4 t. salt

½ t. chipotle powder

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 t. chipotle powder

1 can black beans

2 Tbs. Chopped cilantro 

The Batter

½ cup Masa Harina

½ cup besan flour (chick pea flour)

1 t. baking powder

1 Tbs. potato starch

Juice from 1 can of chick peas

½ t. salt

3/4 cup water, plus 1 Tbs.

Cashew Lime Crema

2 cups cashews, soaked 3 hours or more, then drained

1  cups water

 

Juice of 1 lime, 

½ t. salt

For the Sauce

1 onion, diced

1 serrano pepper, diced 

1 small purple sweet pepper, diced

4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tbs. garlic

¼ t. salt

1 t.  dried oregano

Procedure

For the Filling;

1. Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for a few minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, steam the eggplant for 10 minutes until soft.
3. Add the summer squash, spices, & salt to the onions, and cook for 5 minutes, until they are soft. Add the steamed eggplant, the black beans and the cherry tomatoes and continue cooking, until all the tomatoes have broken down. Add the brown rice and 2 Tbs. cilantro and continue cooking for a few minutes, letting the flavors come together. 

For Crema- Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. 

1. Add 1 cup of the cashew crema to the vegetable stuffing. Set the remainder Crema aside for serving.
2. Adjust seasoning in vegetable stuffing to desired taste.

 

For The Batter-

1. In an electric mixer, whip the Fava Juice until white peaks form. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the water, mix well until no lumps remain. 
3. Fold in the Fava whites until well blended.

 

Stuff the Peppers-

1. Make a small slit partially down the side of the pepper, and cut out the stem and remove the seeds and ribs. Fill each pepper with the filling, trying to keep the opening small, until all the peppers are filled. (If you have leftover stuffing, it can make great nachos!) 

Make the Sauce

1. Sauté the diced onion in a little olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, Serrano pepper and purple pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. 
2. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes. Using either an immersion blender or food processor, puree the tomato mixture and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, until the sauce gets a deeper red color. Add the oregano.

Bring it All Together

1. Dip the stuffed peppers into the batter, and fry them in a light oil until golden brown.  (To make ahead of time, All of the peppers can be fried and then stored in a pyrex dish to be re-heated the following day.)
2. Heat the tomato sauce and serve over the Chile Rellenos, with a drizzle of the Cashew Crema on top. (I thinned out a small amount of the Cashew Crema so that I could drizzle it on top using a squeeze bottle) I served the rest of the Cashew Crema on the side instead of sour cream. 

 

Enjoy! 

iEat Green - Anna Francese Gass

Anna Francese Gass grew up in a small town on the Rhode Island shore before moving to New York City for university and an exciting new life.  After a stint in the corporate world, she decided, in order to be truly happy, she needed to spend her time in the kitchen, instead of an office cubicle. 

 

She quit her fast-paced sales job and enrolled in Culinary Arts at the French Culinary Institute in Lower Manhattan to follow her dream of professional cooking.  Soon thereafter, she found her niche in test kitchens, and has worked for Whole Foods, Mad Hungry, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Food52. She has also assisted on numerous, successful cookbooks and worked on a number of cooking television shows. 

 

Cooking with Grandmothers around the country has become her passion.  Her hope is that by transcribing these cherished recipes, they will continue to be shared and loved for generations to come.

 

Vegan Peach Torte

Preheat oven to 350 °

Ingredients

¾ cup organic sugar

½ cup coconut oil

1 cup organic unbleached flour (sifted)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

Pinch salt

2 Tbs ground Flax seeds

2 Tbs. water

2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 t. vanilla

10 small peaches, blanched, pitted and sliced

Brown Sugar, juice from ½ lemon, and cinnamon

 

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the peaches and let boil for 3 minutes, then remove from water and transfer to ice bath. This will make peeling the peaches easier. Then slice them and put in separate bowl.

 

In electric mixer, cream sugar and coconut oil, until fluffy.  Mix the flax seeds with the apple cider vinegar and water, and let sit for 3 minutes. Then add flax seed mixture to coconut oil and sugar. Add in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add dry ingredients to mixer and beat well.

 

Spoon batter into 10 or 12” tart pan. Place cut peaches all around tart pan, on top of batter.  Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon.  

Bake for one hour.  Remove and cool to lukewarm before removing from pan.

Garnish with powdered sugar. 

iEat Green - Diego Gerena-Quinones, Cargo Bike Solutions

Diego Gerena-Quiñones, is the founder of Cargo Bike Solutions Inc - CBS is all about building up the profile of medium-heavy weight, rapid and sustainable urban logistics on bikes. CBS naturally grew out of 7 years of bicycle courier experience here in New York City both in the street and in operations. As bicycle delivery work has grown exponentially over the last 10 years through the use of on demand delivery applications, there are still very few companies meeting the needs of high volume transportation on bikes, often still relying on cars. That’s where cargo bikes come in - with a 400 lb capacity, Diego's small but growing fleet of bikes can transport high volumes of goods with out emissions, cutting right through traffic and never worrying about parking tickets. 

 

In 2017, Diego met Hannah Dehradunwala, co-founder and CEO of Transfernation Inc. at the City's first ever Food Waste Expo in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Together, they instantly found synergy and complemented each other perfectly. Diego was looking to introduce cargo bikes as a viable transport solution to food waste, and Hannah was looking to create a service that could employ people to do the work of recovering excess food from cafeterias, restaurants and big events instead of sending it to landfills where it contributes to climate change emissions. Since then, their combined efforts have built out a robust operation in New York City, partnering with some of the biggest names in corporate catering, like Flik, and restaurants like Dig Inn. Diego has rescued over 80,000 lbs of food, via bicycle, and that food wasput into community food pantries and regenerative compost programs.

 

 

Szechuan Vegetables and Tofu with Cashews

1 cake extra firm organic tofu, cut into cubes

1 onion, cut in half, then sliced into crescent moons 

2 carrots, cut into small chunks   

1 stalk celery, diced   

1 head broccoli

1 zucchini

1 Japanese eggplant

2 cups purple beans (or green beans)

ginger, 1 inch piece grated

2 Tbs. minced garlic

olive oil 

2 Tbs. tamari (to taste)

1 Tbs. Dark sesame oil

2 Tbs. Aji Marin

1 red jalapeño pepper, diced small

(use gloves when dicing the pepper)

1 Tbs. cornstarch (non GMO)

1 Tbs. water

½ cup roasted cashews

 

 

1. Lay out tofu cubes on dry towel, cover with another towel, and press lightly, to dry.
2. Cover bottom of wok with oil. When oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery and eggplant. Add half the ginger and garlic. Cook for 7-10 minutes until vegetables are soft. 
3. Meanwhile, blanch the purple beans in boiling for a few minutes until al dente, and then transfer to boil of ice water to lock in green color. Drain and set aside. 
4. Push the vegetables to the outer rim of wok. Add another Tbs. of oil to the center of wok. When hot, add the tofu cubes. Allow the tofu to develop a golden skin by shaking the wok to prevent sticking, but not stirring until the tofu is golden on one side. Then turn tofu over and add the remaining garlic and ginger. 
5. Continue cooking at med. high heat, stirring as needed for 5 minutes. Then add the broccoli, zucchini and jalapeño peppers. Add a little water if needed to deglaze the wok.  Add the green beans to the wok.
6. In a small bowl, make a mixture of the cornstarch, water, tamari and mirin, and pour over vegetables. Cook for a few minutes more, allowing the beans to get hot and the sauce to thicken. 
7. Add the dark sesame oil and cashews, and combine. 
8. Taste and adjust according to your preference. Add more Tamari if desired
9. Serve with Brown Rice

 

iEat Green - Bren Smith- Executive Director of GreenWave Founder of Thimble Island Oyster Co

Bren Smith is the Executive Director of GreenWave , an ocean farmer and fisherman-run organization, dedicated to supporting a new generation of ocean farmers and innovators who are working to restore ecosystems, mitigate climate change, and build a blue-green economy. He is also the owner of Thimble Island Ocean Farm, where he pioneered the development of restorative 3-D Ocean Farming. Bren is a lifelong commercial fisherman, and was named one of Rolling Stone’s “25 People Shaping the Future” and featured in Time Magazine’s, Best Inventions of 2017. He is the winner of the 2015 Buckminster Fuller Challenge, one of the most important prizes in sustainability, and has been profiled by CNN, The New Yorker, and National Geographic.

 

Steamed Rainbow Swiss Chard with Lemon Garlic Herb Sauce

 

4 Bunches of Swiss Chard

6 Tbs. Olive Oil 

4 cloves Garlic

Juice from one lemon

½ cup parsley

½ cup basil

½ t. salt 

 

1. Wash and cut Swiss Chard into bite size pieces. 
2. Steam the greens until wilted and bright green (about 4 minutes). 
3. Blanch in ice water bath to cool down and lock in color. Squeeze out excess water and place in large bowl. Set aside.
4. Make the sauce- put all of the remaining ingredients into a mini blender, and process until smooth. 
5. Toss the Swiss Chard with the sauce and serve either hot or cold.

 

Serves 10-12 side portions

iEat Green - Terry Meer, Director of Sustainable Kashi at Kashi Ashram in Sebastian, Florida

Terry Meer has been teaching environmental classes since 2008 on topics including; water catchment systems, solar energy, organic gardening, permaculture design and other green technologies. He was invited to visit the Kashi Ashram back in 2015, and was intrigued by the challenge to create a vibrant permaculture community that shared many of his life’s values. Terry accepted the challenge and position as the Permaculture Director at Sustainable Kashi. Kashi includes interfaith temples, food forests, intensive gardens, and an off-grid eco-village on an 80-acre intentional community. His teaching of combining permaculture closed-loop systems and deep spiritual practices has been called “sacred ecology”. He has worked on several community building projects including community gardens for the homeless, organic gardens for children with autism, free community permaculture courses for low-income families, and partnered in the construction and design of the “Econ Farm”, a project to demonstrate low-impact living that was featured in Oprah Magazine in 2008. Terry has taught classes on permaculture and closed loop eco-systems across the United States, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Australia, Panama, and in the Bahamas.

 

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cashew Lime Crema

Filling

10 Large Peppers for stuffing

1 onion, chopped

4 small elongated red peppers, diced 

2 habanera peppers, diced small

2 cups cherry tomatoes

8 oz. baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced

2 cups chopped kale

2 Tbs. chopped garlic

1-½  t. salt

½ t. pepper

1 can black beans

1 cup frozen organic corn

Cashew Lime Crema

3 cups cashews, soaked 3 hours or more, then drained

2  cups water

Juice of 1 lime, plus 3 Tbs. Lime juice

1 t. chipotle powder

1  t. salt

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 t. cumin Crumb Topping

1 t. chipotle powder ½ cup unsweetened organic corn flakes, crushed

½ t. smoked paprika ½ cup crushed tortilla chips

Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish

 

Procedure

1. For Crema- Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust to taste.

 

For the Filling;

1. Sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and peppers and cook for a few more minutes. Add the spices, salt & pepper, along with the mushrooms and kale and cook for 5 minutes, until they are soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue cooking, until all the tomatoes have broken down. Add the beans and frozen corn and the brown rice and continue cooking for a few minutes, letting the flavors come together. 

 

Stuff the Peppers;

1. Cut the peppers in half and scoop out the seeds and ribs from the peppers. Lay them out in a single layer in a baking dish or roasting pan. Fill each pepper with the filling.  Pour half of the Cashew Crema over the peppers, and sprinkle with the crushed crumb topping. 

 

1. Bake in 350 oven for 40 minutes, until peppers are soft. 
2. Serve with remaining cashew lime crema on the side and enjoy! 

iEat Green - Guest Dr. Maria Michael

Dr. Maria D. Michael is a world renowned and respected medical intuitive, channel, empath, healer, psychic and teacher for over 40 years. She has been awarded 5 advanced degrees (all Summa Cum Laude), including a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. She has doctorate-level training in Neuropsychology and Special Education and extensive post-doctoral studies in Psychoanalysis and Jungian Psychology. Additionally, Dr. Michael is trained and experienced in EMDR, Hypnotherapy, LENS Neurofeedback and Neurolinguistic Programming. She is a Lakota/Navajo traditional elder, has participated in and led traditional Native ceremonies and doctored alongside Lakota Medicine people. 

 

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

 

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients

 

2 large zucchini, inside scooped out and then diced

2 carrots diced

1 can Canneloni beans, drained and rinsed 

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbs, plus 3 t. chopped garlic

2 peppers, diced

2 long eggplant, cut into chunks

2 cups cherry tomatoes 

1 quart baby portobello mushrooms

½ cup white wine

4 cups kale and Swiss chard, chopped

1/4 cup capers

1/2 cup kalamata olives, cut in half

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 t. Dried oregano

2 Tbs. fresh oregano

2 Tbs tamari

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Crumb Topping

 

1/2 cup sage leaves

1/4 cup GF panko flakes

1 Tbs chopped parsley

Olive oil

1/4 t. salt

Pinch of pepper

Instructions

 

1. Cut zucchinis down the middle, lengthwise. Scoop out center to create large cavity for filling. Dice the zucchini you remove from center.
2. Cut ends of eggplants off and then cut down the middle lengthwise. Cut into 1” chunks. In large bowl, toss with a little olive oil and 1 t. minced garlic. Roast in 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until soft. When soft, remove from oven and let cool. 
3. Cut cherry tomatoes in half, using the same bowl as the eggplant, toss with a little olive oil and 1 t. minced garlic, and roast in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
4. Wipe mushrooms clean with damp cloth. Cut in half or quarters, depending on the size, and toss with a little olive oil and garlic. Roast as above, until soft.
5. Meanwhile, steam the kale and Swiss chard till bright green and wilted, and blanch in a bowl of ice water. Squeeze out all water and set aside. 
6. Sauté the onions in large, heavy skillet or wok with olive oil and 1 Tbs. of garlic, till translucent. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the diced zucchini. Cook for 5 more minutes. 
7. Add the cooked eggplant, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Add the cooked kale and white wine. 
8. Add oregano, tamari, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for 5 more minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
9. Add the rice, capers, olives, and parsley. 
10. Fill zucchinis with vegetable mixture. 

To make the Crumb Topping; 

1. In small cast iron pan, cover bottom with olive oil and fry 6 sage leaves at a time for 3-5 seconds until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat until all of the sage is fried.
2. Using the same cast iron pan, remove most of the oil, leaving approx. 1 teaspoon of oil behind. Heat the pan and add the panic flakes, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley. Remove from heat and crumble the sage leaves and add to the crumb mixture. 
3. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top of the filled zucchini halves. 
4. Bake covered at 375 for 45-60 minutes, until soft
5. Serve with Brown Rice Pilaf.

iEat Green - Chung-Wha Hong, Executive Director of Grassroots International

Chung-Wha Hong is the Executive Director of Grassroots International.  As a global justice advocacy and grantmaking organization, Grassroots International connects progressive donors in the US, to high-impact social movements in the Global South.

For over 25 years, Chung-Wha has worked on a range of social justice issues locally and internationally, through organizing, policy advocacy, coalition building and philanthropy.

Named by the New York Magazine as one of the most Influential People in Politics, Chung-Wha helped to build the political clout of New York State’s immigrant communities through a comprehensive civic engagement program, and helped to win numerous legal, social and economic rights and benefits for those communities.

Chung-Wha’s past activism includes working on health care, worker rights and human rights issues at the New York Immigration Coalition, Campaign to Save Public Hospitals, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance AFL-CIO and the Korea Information Project.