$135 million into Restaurants: WCK’s Covid Response
The state of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States is dire — the outbreak is far worse than it was in the spring, and it is affecting communities in every corner of the country. As local governments struggle to control the spread, families continue to face the greatest hunger crisis we have seen in a generation. At the same time, restaurants are doing everything they can to get by, but with colder weather and ever-changing restrictions, their future is grim.
WCK’s Restaurants for the People program began in the spring as a simple, straightforward solution to the dual hunger and economic crises. We are paying local restaurants to prepare fresh, comforting meals for their neighbors in need. This model has proven to be successful: restaurants are ready and able to cook, and families who have been devastated by the financial crisis have one less thing to worry about. To date, WCK has partnered with more than 2,000 restaurants across the country to deliver over 12 million meals. Through these 12 million meals, WCK has put $135 million directly back into local restaurants, enabling small businesses to keep their lights on and people to keep their jobs.
From Oakland to New York to Houston to Minneapolis, the restaurants we’ve partnered with have been cooking for months, supporting not only the families we feed, but farmers, fishers, and everyone else who comes together to build our nation’s food system. As we reach the end of 2020, our team is doing everything we can to continue the Restaurants for the People program into the new year. Here are a few stories from the people we have met and worked with over the past nine months.
New York was the very first epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. WCK’s Relief Team quickly activated in the Bronx before expanding to all five boroughs of the city. We partnered with Addictive Wine and Tapas Bar in Jackson Heights, Queens, owned by partners Francisco and Patrick. Francisco is originally from the Dominican Republic and Patrick is from Vietnam. The restaurant is just a few blocks from Elmhurst Hospital.
“This neighborhood in Queens, Jackson Heights and Corona were the center of the coronavirus. We heard ambulances, day and night pass by for months. It was terrifying hearing the news about Elmhurst, because we are right here, in the center of these neighborhoods,” Patrick told us.
Francisco added, “nearly everyone I know in Queens was sick at some point. I myself have lost three uncles. We lost very regular customers, people we would see twice a week have passed all due to the virus.”
As immigrants themselves, Francisco and Patrick jumped at the opportunity to be part of our Restaurants for the People program, so they could both stay in business and give back to the community they care so much for.
“To be an immigrant, and to be where I am today, it’s the ‘American Dream’. When I first came here, I was lost. I was afraid to ask for help and didn’t know this city or country. Now, I am guiding people to masks and gloves. I am feeding them a hot, healthy meal. It feels amazing to be leading the way,” Patrick said.
“When you go to the food distribution sites and see the lines, you would be shocked that there are so many hungry people in this country or within this neighborhood. When people think ‘hunger’, they think ‘homeless’. But the reality is so many people within homes have an empty refrigerator with no money to fill it,” Francisco added.
Rob Ben’s is a beloved soul food restaurant in Oakland, California. Every morning, Shawny picks up her sister Kecia at 6:30am so they can begin prepping meals for WCK’s Restaurants for the People program. The restaurant was purchased in 2017 by their nephew, NFL great Marshawn Lynch. Marshawn was adamant that his Auntie Kecia, who hosted Sunday dinners, had to be the chef, and Shawny would be the bartender.
When we stopped by, Kecia was making her famous candied yams. She grew up going to Mozell’s Soul Food Restaurant in Bayview Hunters Point, where she learned the power of Soul food. Also on the day’s menu was beef burrito bowls with corn, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, and salsa.
“WCK has made it possible to take the pressure off and make us feel like we wanted to be here the next day… My sister is my rock. It’s just the two of us making all of these meals. We are so grateful to WCK. We have always been givers, WCK has enhanced our ability to give.”
“We are very family oriented and we treat everyone who comes in like family,” Kecia told us.
Husband-wife team Chef D’Andre and Heather own Soul & Smoke in Chicago, Illinois. When WCK brought our Restaurants for the People program to Chicago in April, the pair jumped right in. With his love and passion for barbecue, Chef D’Andre has been cooking up comforting meals for children in after-school programs, families at community pick-up sites, and more.
The team at the restaurant is close, and they all look after one another. Heather told us, “We’re a super tight-knit family and really take care of each other inside and outside of the kitchen.”
They’ve worked hard to keep their staff employed throughout the lockdowns, and partnering with WCK has allowed them to provide enough shifts for staff. Employees who normally handle serving at events come in to individually pack the WCK meals before they are delivered to neighbors in need.
To date, WCK has served close to 300,000 restaurant-prepared meals across the city of Chicago. In addition to the restaurant meals in Chicago, we distributed produce boxes for residents to be able to prepare meals at home.
WCK’s Restaurants for the People program will keep cooking as long as we have the funding to do. 26 million Americans are hungry today, and it’s estimated that 17% of restaurants have already closed in 2020 – while another 20% of all restaurants may close in the next six months. WCK Founder José Andrés published two op-ed pieces, in the New York Times and the Washington Post, laying out powerful arguments for why our federal government must step in to support hungry Americans during this time of dire need. Read them, share them, and call your representatives – together we can make sure that no American goes without a warm meal.
