Community Corner

Montclair Activist Will Speak At Benefit For Northeast Earth Coalition

Jose German-Gomez has earned kudos for educating the public about food production, wildlife habitats and other environmental issues.

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A community activist in Montclair will speak more about his ongoing mission to educate the public about local food production, wildlife habitats and other environmental issues at a fundraising event this weekend.

Jose German-Gomez, founder and CEO of the Northeast Earth Coalition (NEEC), will be the guest of honor at a “Movers and Makers” event, which will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 at The MC Hotel, 690 Bloomfield Avenue.

A portion of ticket sales from the event will be donated to the NEEC, organizers said. Learn more or purchase tickets here.

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According to organizers:

“With over 25 years dedicated to environmental and community work, Jose has been committed to educating the public about local food production, wildlife habitats and more. Through his organization, he has created a multitude of programs including The Little Free Pantry which has distributed over 330,000 pounds of canned food and dry food in 2022. The Crane Park Environmental Project among other NEEC projects and programs local to Montclair, NJ have created a beautiful and safe space for the community to enjoy while focusing on the importance of protecting the environment and promoting local sustainability and food security. As you sip on a welcome toast, you'll be able to learn about Jose’s journey in being an environmental activist, his inspiration for creating the NEEC, investing in and supporting the local community and much more.”

German-Gomez wrote in an email that the nonprofit is “deeply inspired by the support we received from our supporters and volunteers over the past two years.”

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“We continue to have an impact in the communities we serve, and we are getting noticed! Last Saturday, we received the Sylvia and Oscar Ackelsberg Peace Award from New Jersey Peace Action,” he wrote. “This Saturday, April 27, the NEEC will be recognized by the MC Hotel's ‘Movers & Makers’ project with a fundraising event to support our community work.”

“Our organization continues to grow,” the Montclair activist continued. “We have recently added three new community gardens in Montclair public schools, each with a composting station. The 8th Acting Locally for A More Sustainable World Conference was very successful with more than 50 organizations represented. We just had our annual Earth Day Celebration on April 21. This year's event was dedicated to restoring our planet, by doing stream and park cleanups; over 80 volunteers participated.”

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