Frontline Foods

Help restaurants stay open, feed frontline workers

My original idea for Year Volunteer was to have as much direct impact and connection with NYC’s challenges and social issues as possible. I wanted to be in the schools with kids through NY Cares, teaching English to people studying for their citizenship exams and working with the Red Cross’ Disaster Action to provide relief to those in need after a residential fire turned their world upside down.

Obviously the world has changed. Most NY Cares and English language programs have been cancelled and a lot of the Red Cross work has transitioned to remote. I’m no longer in the city so it hasn’t been possible to volunteer with organizations like God’s Love We Deliver and other organizations that are still serving New York and still in need of volunteers.

Being remote, I recently joined Frontline Foods to help manage their operations in NYC. Frontline Foods is a grassroots organization of volunteers who are raising money to support both local restaurants AND frontline workers by purchasing meals from restaurants and delivering them to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 every day. 

In five short weeks, Frontline Foods has scaled from one to 45+ chapters, built a community of over 600 volunteers, partnered with José Andrés's World Central Kitchen, raised over $4 million, and provided more than 70,000 meals from restaurants to healthcare workers across the country. You can learn more from this NYT article or check out their Instagram. Frontline Foods has been featured on the Today show with celebrities like Octavia Spencer and Melissa McCarthy showing their support.

If you’re interested in getting involved, we’re looking for volunteers in NYC and beyond. Please reach out to me and sign up through the form on the site.

You can also donate here if you’re not able to give your time, or let friends who are working on the front line request a meal for their unit. I know there’s a lot of things to give to right now, but your support is appreciated.