If there’s one thing kids take seriously, it’s ice cream.
Families from PS 130 in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, recently helped raise more than $1,000 for local ice cream vendor Carlos Palacios when he was hit with a fine, according to DNA Info.
“He doesn’t have [a permit decal] because there is a long wait list and there are limited permit decals available,” Karen Rafael, mother of three of the students, told DNA Info. Rafael started the online fundraiser via Go Fund Me, which garnered donations from local parents, students, and even the Street Vendor Project, an advocacy organization for city vendors. The page raised a total of $1,070, $70 more than the amount if the fine. Messages passed along with donations included “Going to Carlos after school is the best part of our day” and “Carlos brings so much warmth to us, it’s amazing he can keep his treats so cold!”
Palacios has been selling ice cream outside the Parkside School for eight years with a vendor’s license. He has been unable to obtain a cart permit because of a cap and waiting list that has been closed since 2007. “Protest! Protest!” students yelled when the health department agent tried to tow Palacios’ cart away, according to Rafael.
According to Basma Eid of the Street Vendor Project, thousands of vendors are not able to get their cart license because of a cap on the number of licenses issued.
“Our ‘Lift the Caps’ campaign is aimed at people like Carlos, who are being criminalized for trying to feed their families,” Eid told DNAinfo New York.
When students gathered to give Palacio the donation, he said “it makes me so happy to know that the community supports me. Thank you.” Palacio then proceeded to give everyone free ice cream.
“I saw that Carlos was happy, so I was happy. We made it,” Leila Mejia, 9, said.
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