MERA KITCHEN COLLECTIVE: IMMIGRANTS HAVE THE POWER

Formed by refugee and immigrant women in Baltimore in 2017, Mera Kitchen Collective has been built for catering, pop-ups and selling meals at the farmers' market. Mera's members are from places like Syria, El Salvador and Burkina Faso; they specialize in dishes such as saffron-infused charcoal-smoked rice, sorel chicken stew and pupusas. With the spread of COVID-19, the Collective's members decided to change their business model completely. Now, they're cooking their regional specialties for neighbors in need. Emily Lerman and Aisha Alfadhalah of Mera and Irena Stein of partner restaurant Alma Cocina Latina gather to discuss the nature of hunger, serving their community while communicating across cultures and the singular facets of this extraordinary and expanding operation.