Feed Your Hospital: Pittsburgh

THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION

Three young Asian Americans in New York City connected during COVID-19 in March 2020; they wanted to help two groups of people: 1) frontline healthcare workers with limited time and access to good, hot lunches on their busy days, and 2) independent Asian restaurants (that are more likely to struggle and close during the pandemic for a variety of reasons). They organized Feed Your Hospital, an entirely volunteer-run group that now has chapters across the country. The volunteers identify restaurants that are willing and able to collaborate, find hospital teams and wards, coordinate and deliver the meals, and fundraise for their city’s chapter.

• Founded Pittsburgh chapter, solo raised $4,080 with outreach like this

• Built partnerships with 4 local restaurants and 3 healthcare providers to deliver 345 meals

• Ran social media campaigns to promote local restaurants including connecting with local influencers and journalists

I moved to Pittsburgh in summer 2020, and when I heard about Feed Your Hospital, I instantly loved the idea and respected the progress. It is personal to me on multiple levels: 1) my husband is a new doctor in Pittsburgh, dealing every day with the effects of the pandemic, 2) I have deep respect and appreciation for independent restaurants and businesses (both of which have played a part in my family’s immigrant journeys), and 3) I have a personal history in food journalism. I volunteered to start a Pittsburgh chapter. As chapter lead, I am connecting with healthcare providers and restaurants, running our instagram account (including a content series on highlighting local Asian restaurants to promote our fundraiser), crowdfunding, speaking with other volunteers in the city, and in discussion with our sister chapter in Philadelphia as well as national leadership.

My chapter is winding down in parallel with the national org with an end date of November 2020.

News:

• CBS: Pittsburgh-Area Restaurant Owners Forced To Sell House And Car To Ease Financial Woes After Closing Up

• ABC6: Asian-owned restaurants in Philadelphia struggle through pandemic [feature on Feed Your Hospital: Philadelphia]

@feedyourhospital_pittsburgh