SAN FRANCISCO, March 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Frontline Foods, a grassroots organization feeding medical workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, announced a partnership with World Central Kitchen (WCK) to expand their program to frontline COVID workers and struggling restaurants across the United States. This week, the program will go live in 18 cities with over 150 volunteers.
The Frontline Foods program started organically in multiple cities across the country and the outpouring of support was incredible. The program has fed over 13k meals to frontline workers and supported just over 100 restaurants. "We're scaling meals we send and restaurants we support extremely quickly, it's having a massive impact on both groups. The numbers don't always tell the human impact these actions have in the community," said organizer Frank Barbieri. He continued, "A number of restaurants have already been able to hire back furloughed staff to support the demand from Frontline Foods groups."
"We are moving at the speed and urgency of this emergency," said organizer Ryan Sarver, adding that, "By working with local restaurants to provide food for healthcare workers we're putting money back into our communities and supporting frontline workers with nourishment and a show of solidarity."
Today, Frontline Foods unveiled an initiative with World Central Kitchen, an international nonprofit relief organization led by chef José Andrés whose mission is to use the power of food to heal and strengthen communities in times of crisis and beyond. WCK's experience in fundraising, disaster relief and food preparation for hard-hit communities combined with Frontline Foods' grassroots restaurant and frontline healthcare worker network will enable both organizations to help more people in vulnerable communities nationwide.
"World Central Kitchen is a team of food first responders, mobilizing with the urgency of now to get meals to those who need them most. We are proud that this initiative with Frontline Foods will help activate even more restaurants and kitchens to feed our brave medical professionals on the front lines, in order to make a meaningful impact in the fight to keep everyone fed, and to support the distressed restaurant industry," World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Mook emphasized.
"Frontline Foods is a novel approach to supporting two groups devastated by the COVID-19 crisis. Frontline healthcare workers across the country are putting their lives on the line every day as their institutions struggle to feed and supply them through this crisis," said organizer Joel Wishkovsky, adding that, "At the same time, our local communities have forced the shutdown of thousands of restaurants and put millions of restaurant workers out of a job."
Part of what makes this approach so powerful is how all these communities have come together to share resources and maximize impact. Initially, it was disparate groups across the country, oftentimes with multiple groups in the same city. Ryan Sarver and Frank Barbieri wrote a call to arms to help bring people together. Since then, Frontline Foods has brought many of those groups together under one organization, providing best practices, standard tools and branding and mentorship. "This maximizes impact, gives us national fundraising scale and enables us to reach all those in need," said Frank Barbieri.
Along with this partnership, Frontline Foods is also launching a national donation-matching program with a $200,000 matching grant from top donors and looking for contributions at the national and local levels. Please visit our website to contact us and learn more about this and other Frontline Foods initiatives. When you donate to Frontline Foods, 100% of your donation goes to restaurants providing meals for hospital workers.
We are also looking for philanthropically-minded individuals and organizations with which to partner.
For more information please contact [email protected].
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The Frontline Foods program started organically in multiple cities across the country and the outpouring of support was incredible. The program has fed over 13k meals to frontline workers and supported just over 100 restaurants. "We're scaling meals we send and restaurants we support extremely quickly, it's having a massive impact on both groups. The numbers don't always tell the human impact these actions have in the community," said organizer Frank Barbieri. He continued, "A number of restaurants have already been able to hire back furloughed staff to support the demand from Frontline Foods groups."
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"We are moving at the speed and urgency of this emergency," said organizer Ryan Sarver, adding that, "By working with local restaurants to provide food for healthcare workers we're putting money back into our communities and supporting frontline workers with nourishment and a show of solidarity."
Today, Frontline Foods unveiled an initiative with World Central Kitchen, an international nonprofit relief organization led by chef José Andrés whose mission is to use the power of food to heal and strengthen communities in times of crisis and beyond. WCK's experience in fundraising, disaster relief and food preparation for hard-hit communities combined with Frontline Foods' grassroots restaurant and frontline healthcare worker network will enable both organizations to help more people in vulnerable communities nationwide.
"World Central Kitchen is a team of food first responders, mobilizing with the urgency of now to get meals to those who need them most. We are proud that this initiative with Frontline Foods will help activate even more restaurants and kitchens to feed our brave medical professionals on the front lines, in order to make a meaningful impact in the fight to keep everyone fed, and to support the distressed restaurant industry," World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Mook emphasized.
"Frontline Foods is a novel approach to supporting two groups devastated by the COVID-19 crisis. Frontline healthcare workers across the country are putting their lives on the line every day as their institutions struggle to feed and supply them through this crisis," said organizer Joel Wishkovsky, adding that, "At the same time, our local communities have forced the shutdown of thousands of restaurants and put millions of restaurant workers out of a job."
Part of what makes this approach so powerful is how all these communities have come together to share resources and maximize impact. Initially, it was disparate groups across the country, oftentimes with multiple groups in the same city. Ryan Sarver and Frank Barbieri wrote a call to arms to help bring people together. Since then, Frontline Foods has brought many of those groups together under one organization, providing best practices, standard tools and branding and mentorship. "This maximizes impact, gives us national fundraising scale and enables us to reach all those in need," said Frank Barbieri.
Along with this partnership, Frontline Foods is also launching a national donation-matching program with a $200,000 matching grant from top donors and looking for contributions at the national and local levels. Please visit our website to contact us and learn more about this and other Frontline Foods initiatives. When you donate to Frontline Foods, 100% of your donation goes to restaurants providing meals for hospital workers.
We are also looking for philanthropically-minded individuals and organizations with which to partner.
For more information please contact [email protected].
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frontline-foods-and-wck-partner-to-feed-foster-communities-in-need-301032467.html
SOURCE Frontline Foods
