This fall Community Offshore Wind is partnering with local fisheries and hunger relief organizations to provide thousands of fresh, locally-sourced seafood meals to families from disadvantaged communities, helping to alleviate food insecurity while supporting New York’s fishing industry.

Nearly 1.3 million New Yorkers face food insecurity and Brooklyn in particular has one of the highest poverty rates in the city. To help address this, Community Offshore Wind donated 300 pounds of fresh pollock fillets and 600 cans of clam chowder to City Harvest Food Rescue Center and partnered with Red Hook Farms to distribute porgy (scup) and clam chowder to approximately 70 additional families at New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)’s Red Hook Houses. Both porgy and Atlantic surf clams are sustainably harvested by local fishing fleets in the Mid-Atlantic and Marine Stewardship Council-certified.

Community Offshore Wind sourced pollock for these donations from Aqua Best Seafood Market, a Brooklyn-based, family-owned market that sells fish and seafood obtained directly from fishermen. Aqua Best prioritizes sustainable fishing practices and supports local fishermen. 

These donations are part of Community Offshore Wind’s commitment to supporting the communities where the project will operate. In addition to the donations in Brooklyn, Community Offshore Wind provided 540 pounds of fresh fish and 720 cans of clam chowder to families on Long Island and over 4,000 pounds of fresh fish and 3,600 cans of clam chowder to families in New Jersey. This builds on Community Offshore Wind’s previous seafood donations in New York and New Jersey, which provided more than 90,000 fresh meals in 2022 and 2023 combined.  

"Community Offshore Wind is committed to giving back to the communities our project will serve and working hand-in-hand with local fishermen to support New York’s commercial fishing industry,” said Doug Perkins, President & Project Director of Community Offshore Wind. “This initiative is an opportunity to bring these two commitments together, simultaneously benefitting fishermen and addressing food insecurity for New Yorkers most in need.”

“I want to thank Community Offshore Wind for hosting the seafood redistribution event and continuing to engage with the Brooklyn community,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “These food donations will be given to residents of neighboring NYCHA Houses, and I’m always pleased to see neighbors coming together to support one another.”

“Commercial fishing is an important industry for New York’s long-term economic growth, and it is critical that offshore wind developers work closely with fishermen to ensure their projects share the waters off our coast effectively,” said Steven Wong, Owner of Aqua Best Seafood Market. “By working with us to purchase the fish for these donations directly from regional fishermen, Community Offshore Wind has shown that they are serious about supporting the industry and delivering clean energy in a way that will not negatively impact our marine ecosystem.” 

“Food insecurity is a critical issue affecting many communities across New York City, and accessing fresh, nutritious food can be challenging,” said Ellen Granger, Senior Manager of Donor Relations & Supply Chain for City Harvest. “Community Offshore Wind’s generous donation will help ensure that New York City families are getting the nutritious food they need this fall.”

Community Offshore Wind is committed to building relationships with local fishing communities and has developed collaborative partnerships and responsive strategies to support local fishing communities and promote coexistence between fisheries and offshore wind. Their latest proposed project includes significant funding for programs that support conservation and fisheries, and they entered into a groundbreaking Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that will transform environmental monitoring for offshore wind projects and increase transparency between researchers and developers.

Community Offshore Wind is also the first developer to join the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS), a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center that funds research of shellfish and finfish resources to enhance management and awareness of the health benefits of sustainable seafood.

Since its launch in 2022, Community Offshore Wind has been an active and engaged neighbor to New York communities. The project’s other community initiatives include providing school supply kits for 500 New York students, donating more than 3,000 STEM-focused books to families in Brooklyn, cleaning up more than 1,000 pounds of garbage from the Long Island and Brooklyn waterfronts, funding field trips for more than 140 New York students to local museums, and donating 900 coats to families in need during the winter months.