“These are communities that are in need. But nothing is done where we want recognition. We just love doing God's work”
Seleste Burns
Grassroots Grocer
My mother always made sure that we ate. But I always felt like I couldn’t get what I needed.
At 13 years old my mother said Seleste, I can't give you the things you want any more, I can’t do it for you. So I started working at the age of 13.
At an early age I remember going to churches and people's homes and maybe I wanted another piece of chicken or more food, But somehow they always said that I could never have seconds.
Today I'm deacon Seleste Burns, a community leader, a missionary leader of Whosoever Will Baptist Church at 1651 Popham Ave in the Bronx, where the Reverend Kevin Quarles is my pastor. I am also the presiding President of the Tenants Association in the River Park Towers where I’ve lived for over 33 years.
Today, I am going to make sure by the grace of God that people I encounter don't have to go through what I went through. Everyone should be able to have a hearty meal without begging.
And I try to be a resource to any questions people may ask. If I don't know I will find out and get back to you.
I am a Grassroots Grocer. And I also have an organization called The Working Women Warriors, which I will talk about.
It started during COVID when our Tenants Association President at the time, passed away. That’s when we formed an advisory board, and we just started doing the work.
We met Dan and Grassroots Grocery. We met Dan at a warehouse where we were distributing food during the pandemic every single day. I remember Dan saying, ‘I am going to create this organization, and Seleste, I want you to be a partner.”
“We met Dan and Grassroots Grocery. And we got together and told everybody listen, we're gonna give out food every Saturday.”
At that time our board was giving out dry goods, canned goods, but we didn’t have fresh fruit and vegetables very consistently. By partnering with Grassroots, it became a bigger blessing, to deliver a complete nutritional meal or snack. So we have been giving out food each and every Saturday.
And this is fruits and vegetables but, in communities like mine, we need fruits and vegetables. Why? Because everybody's buying McDonald's. Everybody's eating potato chips.
And we give it out with decency, with order because we care for them.
It's a blessing to give and to receive food. The economy has gone up so high. You know, everybody doesn't get SNAP. Everybody doesn't get food stamps, cash assistance. And we have working people who cannot feed their families.
Also a lot of people are scared, because they're undocumented or whatever.
These are communities that are in need. But nothing is done where we want recognition. We just love doing God's work.
What happened for me? It started with my grandma Dovetta,( RIP), my mom, Kathlena, (RIP), my stepfather Melvin Taylor, and my pastor, Reverend Quarles. They began inspiring me; until then I never even realized that I was doing God’s work.
I started visiting the Whosoever Will Baptist Church. I would go to visit and just bring pies. Just being friendly.
Then I met a man who became a spiritual father who I now feel was sent from God. I was in a domestic violence relationship, and he helped me survive that. After a time, he was my best friend, Charles Holloway. And he opened up my entire life to the gift inside me that I never knew I had. Charles passed away right before the pandemic.
Charles also told me–I was 26 years old– you were the most difficult student that I've ever had in my life! And I was, because I gave him the hardest time. It took me 15 years for God to prepare me for this work.
Now at the age of 51 I am just beginning to realize my purpose. But that was when things began to click for me in my head.
I have a daughter Saniyah. We have been close since she was little and I’m so proud of her. She takes dance and violin at school.
She is 16, and I always pray that she will be greater than I. Naturally she is an advocate for people. She helps people with food and the community.
The Working Woman Warriors, we founded it in 2020, right in the pandemic. We wore masks, we received food from most of the restaurants 7 days a week. We gave to homeless people in the street. Knocked on peoples’ doors. Men's shelters, women's shelters, feeding people. All day every day.
We were on the street not getting any donations. Just taking it out of our pocket, going to Queens, Brooklyn…it’s not always easy…what keeps us going is we consider ourselves vessels that God uses.
My Momma Pamela is truly my right hand. Right from the beginning. She used her car to take us to every shelter and street. I love her dearly.
Pam and I always love to see faces smile.
I have to say that even though we love to smile, we have our moments. Because there’s a lot that goes on in this world for so many people who don’t have. There is so much trouble. But we want to smile, to stay uplifted.
Dovetta used to say: Seleste, when you can eat, share. Somebody else is hungry.
Somebody or something has to make someone happy once in a while. And I'm just grateful to be one of those.
Grassroots Grocers like Seleste are the beating heart of hyper-local food deliveries. They make sure healthy rescued produce gets to our neighbors…week after week, year after year.
Team up with Seleste to help her get that critical work done. Please give now to Grassroots Grocery.