Helping restaurants and the needy
A collaborative program underway in Pittsburgh offers an innovative approach to two major issues brought on by the coronavirus pandemic — food insecurity and the struggling restaurant industry.
412 Food Rescue and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership teamed up for a new round of assistance — for the needy and restaurants — through the Community Takeout program which was first used last May and ran for eight weeks. This second phase of the program was made possible by a COVID-19 relief grant of more than $1 million from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and is scheduled to last six months.
“We want to offer support to help [restaurants] weather this very difficult time,” said Leah Lizarondo, cofounder and CEO of 412 Food Rescue.
There is simplicity to the Community Takeout program: Grant money is used to purchase meals from participating Downtown restaurants (which are closed to indoor dining at the moment) and then distributed to those in need.
The participating Downtown restaurants will provide more than 1,200 meals per week for those facing food insecurity while also offering restaurant owners and their workers a lifeline until the establishments can reopen in a near-normal setting. A handful of restaurants will prepare meals each day on a rotating basis. The plan is to expand the number of participating Downtown restaurants to as many as 15 by mid-January.
The program runs through May 2021 and could be the difference for local restaurants between having a future or closing. By then, with the combination of a COVID-19 vaccine being available to more people and warmer weather allowing for expanded outdoor dining, the restaurants just might be able to survive.
And by utilizing the services of local restaurants, 412 Food Rescue can reach more of those in need. The organization’s volunteers, of which there are thousands, deliver the prepared food daily to the organization’s nonprofit partners for distribution. Ms. Lizarondo describes her organization as the “Door Dash for people facing hunger.” The group doesn’t collect or provide food, but coordinates efforts to get food to those who need it.
The program is a shining example of what can be accomplished when organizations and industries work together in times of crisis. A problem and needs were identified, a plan formulated and funding obtained. Because of this effort, fewer people will go hungry and more people in the restaurant industry can continue working.