Ice The Beef Equips Fair Haveners For School

Mother of ten Rameinak Armour-White picked up brand new book bags filled with supplies with six of her youngest kids, who are eager to head back to school safely after the large household struggled to concentrate on remote classes in the Spring.

Ice the Beef’s Latino Caucus distributed 430 book bags at the back-to-school giveaway, its debut event, on Friday outside of Christopher Columbus Family Academy.

Families like Armour-White’s were offered kids backpacks filled with school supplies, Covid testing, musical performances, and voter and census registration.

Visitors were greeted with a squirt of hand sanitizer each, and face masks were offered.

Sisters Tainia, 15, and Cakira 13 (top photo), helped their siblings pick out book bags for the school year.

“It’s too hard learning from home,” said Tainia, who attends Achievement First Amistad High School. Her sister attends Amistad Academy Middle School.

“Most of my friends go to school because it’s their safe place,” said Cakira.

Armour-White, who lives in Newhallville, was around the Fair Haven area while the event was happening. Her family was in need of school supplies as the start of the school year approaches quickly. Armour-White hasn’t been able to find the time or money to go school shopping while working as a nurse.

Ice The Beef’s Latino Caucus was formed in July at the suggestion of President Manuel Camacho, 15. The caucus has about six group members currently. Camacho got help planning the event from secretary Jose Carrion, 16, and Vice President Kassandra Martel, 17.

Camacho has lived in Fair Haven for six years. ​“There’s not much going on over here for the community,” he said. ​“I immediately knew where I wanted to start my work, right here.”

The organizers spoke with families as they stopped by. Camacho heard from neighbors who were laid off and are struggling to find new jobs.

Martel joined the team in hopes of getting more connected with the Hispanic community. Martel is Peruvian and is in foster care; her current parents are white and live in Orange. As a Hillhouse student, Martel spends most of her time in New Haven, one of few places she can find Peruvian food markets and barbershops.

While talking with community members at the event, Martel said she was reminded of the many struggles she has faced with different foster families. ​“I understand the struggle of what it’s like. Most of us aren’t thinking about school supplies. because we’re thinking about rent and food, That’s the first priority,” she said.

Carrion, who attends Sound School, is Camacho’s cousin. As secretary, Carrion said, he hopes to bring Ice the Beef’s message to the Latino community, which ​“has a voice and important place in the fight.”

Inside the book bags were pencils and notebooks for students. ​“This was a burden on many people,” said Camacho.

The event was scheduled to end at five. Bags ran out by 4 p.m.

Fair Haven Community Health Care staffers Tatiana Davlla, Yoaniris Deleon, and Annette Nasiadka conducted about ten Covid test on community members at the event.

Sponsors for the event included Never Forgotten Never Alone, Fair Haven Health, Black and Brown People United, Mellisa Attlebury, New Haven’s People Center, Friends of Goffe Street Parks, Unidad Latina, Islamic Center, CIty Wide Youth Colilition, Chatham Square Neighborhood Association, Ct Cowboys Fan Club, Cornell Scott Hill Health, Yale Latino Networking Group, CAGV, Maintenance Pro, Cruse Bereavement Care, and Advance Child Care.

The team hopes to arrange marches and rallies in Fair Haven in the near future and partner with organizations like Unidad Latina en Accion.

Marcey Lynn Jones, Ward 30 Democratic committee co-chair, distributed 300 of her handmade mask at the event within the first hour. CT Against Gun Violence Executive Director Jeremy Stein distributed shirts reading, ​“How many kids does it take to change our gun laws?”

Nancy Perez brought her cousins Delmy, 12, and Christian 7 (pictured), to get book bags after hearing about the event on Facebook.

Delmy picked out a shiny pink bookbag while Christian picked a spider man bookbag.

“I’m glad they got to pick their bags to make them more excited for school,” said Perez.