Mothers & Men Against Senseless Killing
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maskchicago.bsky.social
Mothers & Men Against Senseless Killing
@maskchicago.bsky.social
130 followers 210 following 270 posts
Gun violence is a societal disease accompanied by many different symptoms.With each symptom triaged and treated, the likelihood of an act of gun violence is reduced, the quality of life of the community improves.

For more information go to: ontheblock.org
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maskchicago.bsky.social
Dreezy Claus is Back in Town!
Join us on Dec 25th for the 9th Annual #MASK #ChristmasCaravan. Drive, or ride w/ us & spread love on the South & West sides of #Chicago!

75th & Stewart, 10am Xmas Day. Sign up or donate: ontheblock.org
Dreezy Claus is Back in Town! Join us on Dec 25th for the 9th Annual Christmas Caravan. Drive or ride with us & spread love on thr South & West sides of Chicago! Sign up, toy shop or donate at ontheblock.org
December 2, 2025 at 6:07 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Do you enjoy cooking?
Love the Children in your big village?
This might be the job for you.

Contact #TamarManasseh @
ontheblock.org or on Facebook Messenger.

#SNAP
#TinyKitchenProject
#Chicago
#SouthSide
#75thAndStewart
#FoodInsecurity
If you wouldn't mind volunteering 80 hours per month cooking for kids to keep your SNAP benefits inbox me ontheblock.org
November 20, 2025 at 6:08 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
www.haaretz.com/jewish/2025-...
"This blazes a trail into the future," Manasseh, 47, said in a phone interview. "Women are such prominent figures in the community and in society, and this board needed to reflect that." Manasseh was born into a Jewish family in Chicago and attended Jewish day school. She said she does not harbor any ill will about her delayed ordination because she used that time to find her calling. She runs a violence prevention nonprofit, Mothers & Men Against Senseless Killing, and spends much of her time interacting with her neighbors on the street. "I'm not a pulpit rabbi," she said. "I'm a corner rabbi." Now she plans to encourage more women to enroll at the Israelite Academy and follow in her footsteps."
November 12, 2025 at 6:59 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
The Supreme Court is expected to rule Tuesday on a request from President Trump’s admin to keep blocking states from providing full SNAP benefits...

The legal wrangling could be moot if the U.S. House adopts & Trump signs to quickly end the govt shutdown.

apnews.com/article/gove...
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
We have generations of Veteran's on the block & in our city. Heartfelt gratitude to you all for your sacrifices , bravery and service.🇺🇸👍🏻👍🏾👍🏼👍
#VeteransDay
#Chicago

nationalvmm.org/events/legac...
Picture of Black Civil War Veterans from https://nationalvmm.org/events/legacies-of-black-veterans/
November 11, 2025 at 5:44 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
#TinyKitchenProject
#Chicago
Since Monday we've served over 800 meals and we're adding breakfast and weekend holdovers next week. While this situation has been at best, challenging, it's also had some moments that renewed my faith in people. Right now, everyone is mad, sad or afraid. There is a shortage of hope and compassion. These are dark times. I'm not saying there haven't been darker times, because of course there have been, I didn't live through them though. But, I'm here now and things are happening in this country whether we like them or not. And I'm so glad that the people around the block and in this new community we seem to be building aren't letting the negativity that's around them get into them. The volunteers have shown up everyday, because they believe, no matter what, our presence is needed because it makes a difference. Donors have looked at what we're doing and said they can support the idea of making sure our kids aren't forgotten at this time. Regular people who aren't volunteers or donors have smiled and told us that they're happy we're here. That in itself has a different kind of value. I know y'all may be tired of hearing me say this, but I have to. So when the time comes that you may need a little help, you know someone is there. We are all in this together. And my survival ultimately depends on yours and vice versa. This man has his very own Bible, but he doesn't know a thing about the way the Most High works. There's a psalm that I love that speaks to me now. If my bed is made in a world of peace, G-d is there with me and even if I make my bed in a house in full of overdue bills, and food from a pantry, G-d is there with me, too. This week has proven to me that as long as we are with each other, G-d is, too. Back at it on Monday. See y'all there!😘
November 9, 2025 at 3:43 AM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Monday
Nov 10
#Chicago
Please join us

#FoodInsecurity
#SNAP insecurity
November 7, 2025 at 11:01 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
"Welcome to MMAP News, Your Trusted Source for clear, timely, and trustworthy information on Medicare and Medicaid law, health insurance counseling, Social Security news, IRS updates, and the latest on financial aid programs and stimulus checks."

mmapinc.org/usda-reveals...
November 7, 2025 at 8:47 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
"The kids need us. Even w/o funding. They all voted to still show up, then people in the neighborhood started dropping whatever they had in their pockets, because we're all in this together.
🎶"I wish I could give you this feeling. I wish I could give you this feeling."🎶"

#FoodInsecurity
Yesterday we had a meeting on the block. We had to. The state of the government and its affect on the community was the topic. We discussed the best way to proceed in all of the uncertainty. The other day there was no SNAP in November. Then it was half. Then it was none again. Then it was half again. Then 65%. Then 35% in the exact same day. So you can see what I mean when I say, uncertainty. The hokey pokey of this administration had us wondering should we keep doing dinner everyday and lean in, or stop because people are getting a percentage (I think? ) of their SNAP benefits? Now, preparing meals outside on a street corner in the summer is hard. But, outdoors in a Chicago fall/ winter is brutal. We've done pop ups before in the winter but never everyday... BUT, knowing how difficult it could be and will be, every single volunteer who cooks and shows up to serve everyday STILL voted that we can't stop. The kids need us. Even with a fraction of the benefits. Even with the indecisiveness of the government. Even in the cold, wet, ick, that is sure to come. Even without funding. They all voted to still show up. And then people in the neighborhood started dropping whatever they had in their pockets on the table. Because we're all in this together. 🎶"I wish I could give you this feeling. I wish I could give you this feeling."🎶
November 7, 2025 at 6:26 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Wonder what we're serving on What's Up Wednesday?
#Chicago
#TinyKitchenBigVillage
#FoodInsecurity
ontheblock.org
November 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
We're focusing on who no one else is. The kids. So, you can eat if you come to the block. But, not before any kid.

I know that sounds harsh, but if you're paying attention, it's not nearly the most abrasive thing you've heard all day.
#TinyKitchenProject
#Chicago
#FoodInsecurity

ontheblock.org
This morning I saw another restaurant offering free meals to people who didn't receive their SNAP benefits. It was great and their chicken looked delish! However, once again, they were serving cooked food while children were still in school. That's not what we're doing. We understand that there are hungry adults, too. But, they have options. Five year olds don't. Either someone cooks for them, or they, a nine year old, a twelve year or fourteen year old figures it out for themselves. And then they make the news and we're all criminals because they robbed someone or stole from a store, just to eat. We're focusing on who no one else is. The kids. So, you can eat if you come to the block. But, not before any kid. I know that sounds harsh, but if you're paying attention, it's not nearly the most abrasive thing you've heard all day.
November 5, 2025 at 9:44 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
#TinyKitchenBigVillage
#FoodInsecurity
#Chicago
#75thAndStewart
#Resist bad policy

For more info on the #TinyKitchenProject
go to ontheblock.org
No nine year old can show a link card and get a free meal. Nor, can a seven year old go grab a box from a food pantry. Someone has to cook for them. And today we did that. For over 100 of them. And I am so proud that we got the opportunity to do that! Thank you all. Same time. Same Place. Tomorrow.❤️
November 4, 2025 at 4:51 AM
maskchicago.bsky.social
wild that we don't audit billionaires, but ya'll will dissect a single moms grocery cart like it' a crime scene
November 2, 2025 at 4:02 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
#Everywhere

Nothing left to lose...
November 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Facts About Food Stamp Recipients

#SNAP
FACT about food stamps: The majority of SNAP work, (many for the fed govt. Every $ generates $1.73 in economic activity SNAP has a fraud rate of less than 3%, the lowest ofcany public benefif program undocumented immigrants have never bern eligible for SNAP
November 1, 2025 at 8:02 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Mon. Nov 6th
Mon Nov 10
6pm
1302 W 74th
Rose of Light MBC

Please join us and learn more about #SNAP in your #Chicago #Community #FoodInsecurity From the #GreaterChicagoFoodDepository
#Camp1302
ontheblock.org
Mon. Nov 6th Mon Nov 10 6pm 1302 W 74th Rose of Light MBC #Chicago Community Food Forums Please join us and learn more about #SNAP in your #Chicago #Community #FoodInsecurity From the #GreaterChicagoFoodDepository #Camp1302 ontheblock.org
November 1, 2025 at 7:21 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Solidarity in all our communities is job 1 right now. www.chicagosfoodbank.org/

ontheblock.org

#TinyKitchenBigVillage
The Tiny Kitchen Project Our Story Black Americans once depended on the collective for survival. The often-quoted African proverb reminds us: it takes a village to raise a child. Many of us are here today because of that village — because we once lived together, learned together, and even cooked together. But as assimilation into post-Civil War American culture pulled us away from those sustaining principles, the bonds that once held our communities together began to weaken. The result: a breakdown in trust, rising violence, and a deepening sense of despair. Why Food Matters Over the past decade, MASK has witnessed the violence epidemic up close. While poor schools, the lack of mental health services, and generational poverty all play critical roles, one factor rises above them: food insecurity. A child may not understand systemic inequities, but they know hunger. Whether it’s a four-year-old breaking into a car for water on a hot day or a fourteen-year-old picking up a gun — both are simply responding to the same unmet need: survival.
October 30, 2025 at 6:01 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
#SNAP
#CutUtilities
#FoodInsecurity

We all need to stay on top of taking care of each other in our communities at this time
If we're going to do this whole no foodstamps thing, we're going to need someone to declare a moratorium on utilities until the impending food crisis has passed. How are you gonna cook all that pantry food, that you waited in line for, if you don't have a fridge that can keep it cold or a stove that can cook it? If food banks may run short on food because of the demand, can we really afford to let food spoil because people lack the proper tools to prevent it? Let's not have a repeat of the pandemic when teachers were online ready to teach, but many of the students didn't have wifi or devices. People need the proper tools to get through hard times. And utilities are one of those tools. I swear this is the shutdown that just keeps on taking! But here we are. Having no food is bad. But, having food and you can't even eat it, has to be a brand new special kind of American cruelty.
October 29, 2025 at 6:43 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
"Your support means more meals, more hope, & fewer reasons for someone hungry to pick up a gun & commit a crime of desperation against someone who isn't. ..

I know it sounds crazy, but right now, just surviving is really the most revolutionary thing we can do.
ontheblock.org/tinykitchenproject
A little over a month ago, I wrote that a gun never fixed a gun problem, but a meal did. I said food insecurity drives violence because I’ve seen it happen, over and over again, up close. I said we didn’t need more guns in a city already full of them; we needed more people who could see each other as human. That was only weeks ago. Now, the government is shut down, SNAP benefits are frozen, and Head Start programs for kids are being cut. Families who are barely holding on are likely to slip through the cracks. What I warned about, what I tried to get ahead of, isn’t a possibility anymore; it’s happening. When people can’t feed their children, violence rises. That’s not politics; it’s survival. And that’s precisely why I started The Tiny Kitchen Project: to fight hunger before it becomes chaos. To turn kitchens into peacekeeping tools. Right now, we’re feeding families, training young people to cook for their communities, and doing everything we can to hold this city together with compassion instead of force. But we can’t do it without you. Please donate to The Tiny Kitchen Project, TODAY. Your support means more meals, more hope, and fewer reasons for someone hungry to pick up a gun and commit a crime of desperation against someone who isn't. Believe it or not, but at this point, we are all in this together. I know it sounds crazy, but right now, just surviving is really the most revolutionary thing we can do. Click here to help....
October 22, 2025 at 7:02 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
The Social Safety net isn't just for those who may fall & need it, it's also for those who could get crushed as there's no net there to begin with.

We're all gonna feel each other's pain whether we like it or not We may not want to admit it, but I'd like to think we're smart enough to know it.
Wait. So on top of SNAP being cut Nov 1st, headstart is on the chopping block, too? This is not going to cause a ripple effect. It's going to cause a monsoon! Let's say you're working at least 30 hours a week and getting SNAP benefits. You also have a kid in a head start program. But, at the same time you have been notified you won't be getting link, you're also being notified your kid can't come to school. What happens if you don't have anyone to care for your child or money for childcare? You might lose the very job that you need to continue receiving the SNAP benefits that you aren't getting anyways. What's going to happen? How crazy is this situation? But, nope it's not crazy. It is a very real, potential outcome of all of this. The Social Safety net isn't just for those who may fall and need it, it's also for those who could get crushed if there was no net there to begin with. We're all gonna feel each other's pain whether we like it or not. And, I whereas we may not admit it, I'd like to think we're at least smart enough to know it.
October 21, 2025 at 9:14 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Cause y'all didn't believe me! I'll say it one more time, even louder for the people in the back!!!!

Community Action is Resistance

ontheblock.org/tinykitchenproject
IDHS Illinois Dept of Human Services: Trump's Administration:SNAP Benefits Slated to be Cut Off on November 1
October 18, 2025 at 6:05 AM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Food stamps aren't just for "poor" people.
They are now for people who just a short time ago had jobs, careers even, & stability. Until this new reality hit them.
That in one way or another is hitting us all.
#Chicago
#GunViolencePrevention
#FoodInsecurity
#USA

ontheblock.org/tinykitchenproject
ontheblock.org/tinykitchenproject Donate Fight Gun Violence one meal at a time. Without local interventions, looming SNAP benefit cuts will trigger a spike in hunger & crime. Let's get ahead of this new crisis
October 13, 2025 at 4:41 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
#FoodInsecurity
#ProductiveResistance
#TinyKitchenProject-Chi
#Chicago
ontheblock.org
Today Russ Vought said another 4,000 federal employees will be fired. That's on top of the thousands who were already fired or took buyouts from DOGE. If the job market has started to reflect the craters left by early DOGE cuts, why wouldn't the people who actually lost those jobs feel the cuts, too? Food stamps aren't just for "poor" people. They're like the people in this article. They are now for people who just a short time ago had jobs, careers even, and stability. Until this new reality hit them. That in one way or another is hitting us all. Our lives are changing. Our lifestyles are being forced to change and I don't think many of us truly recognize that. I know plenty of people who say food stamps are a crutch and poor people who need to get a job! Pull themselves up by their "bootstraps", they say. But what happens when you had bootstraps and you pulled yourself up by them, only to have someone come along and arbitrarily cut them off. Leaving you nothing to hang on to or pull up on? Those people deserve help. Maybe a little bit of compassion.They deserve to get a little bit out of what they poured so much of themselves into. Through no fault of their own. People who were once like you, someone who doesn't need food stamps. Someone who goes to work everyday. Has some job security. A little money saved up. Not worried about where their next meal is coming from. Is worried. And you don't care. Because this government or AI hasn't gotten around to you. YET.
October 11, 2025 at 4:22 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
#FoodInsecurity
#ViolencePrevention
Preparedness is #resistance
#TinyKitchenProjectChicago
Last night we had a great meeting! I appreciate each and every one of you who showed up. I feel so encouraged! Everybody was engaged and we're all taking about next steps. Today, we also sewed up a partnership with our third elementary school! There are lots of important things going on in the world and our city. But, trying to stop violence through addressing hunger and building partnerships with those who know where all of the hungry children are, seems like the right place for me right now. #Theresistence
October 8, 2025 at 5:36 PM
maskchicago.bsky.social
Join us & the #GreaterChicagoFoodRepository @ 9pm Tues. to discuss changes in Fed law that will effect SNAP, also known as food stamps or Link. Learn about how the changes will effect millions in Illinois.

Join @ via zoom link below!
us06web.zoom.us/j/81292716006

#Chicago
#SNAP
COMMUNITY FOOD FORUM Join us & the #GreaterChicagoFoodRepository @ 9pm Tues. to discuss changes in Fed law that will effect SNAP, also known as food stamps or Link. Learn about how the changes will effect millions in Illinois. Join @ via zoom link below! https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81292716006 #Chicago #SNAP
October 7, 2025 at 2:11 AM