There is a new partnership that allows supporters of Occupy Wall Street to purchase food from local street vendors, to donate to the protest

It was announced recently that the Street Vendor Project has teamed up with Occupy Wall Street to let those who want to donate food to the movement do so, while also helping local businesses.

Instead of donating food directly to OWS, generous folk can donate to the Street Vendor Project, a nonprofit, which will then use that money to buy foods from local vendors to feed the protesters. This way not only do the occupiers get good grub, but hardworking vendors get paid

The carts affiliated with the Street Vendor Project/OWS include the New York Hot Dog Cart, Sam’s Falafel, Aly’s Breakfast Cart, Coffee on the Run, Bombay Biryani, NY Life and Fruit Salad Bar, Biryani House, 99% Vegetarian and A-Pou’s Taste.

Through this platform, supporters from across the country and around the world can view vendor profiles and purchase food to be donated. Vendors will be able to participate in the growing excitement of the OWS movement and contribute to sustaining it.

Learn more here http://streetvendor.org/ows

In reaction to what he says is a proliferation of food carts on city streets, City Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) said he would like to see the city Street Vendor Review Panel reconvene and implement a new plan regulating where and when the food carts can operate.

The panel was established by Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1995 and charged with determining which streets would be closed to vending.

Weprin said the panel has not met in 10 years, and food carts have recently set up in his district in areas such as Bell Boulevard, Hillside Avenue, Springfield Boulevard and Union Turnpike, prompting complaints from residents and business owners.

“Food vendors have a right to do business, but the city must ensure that all food carts operate safely and in appropriate locations,” he said.

One street vendor that has drawn numerous complaints is the Sarwari Halal Food cart that settled on the corner of Bell Boulevard and 73rd Avenue early last week.

“They just showed up last week and 10 businesses in the area and numerous residents complained,” the councilman said.

Business owners up and down the block, from Dunkin’ Donuts to Villa Rustica Ristorante, said the food cart represented unfair competition because it drew customers away without having to pay expenses such as rent.

Shapiro said there was evidence to the contrary.

“We’ve seen a lot of studies that actually show that vending increases business by bringing more foot traffic to the street,” he said.

Cindy Weu, co-owner of Sweet Adele’s, said her customers complained that the food cart was out of step with the neighborhood’s mostly residential character.