Because this pandemic is such new and uncharted territory to everybody, the community must come together, now more than ever, to help each other. One of the inspiring ways we are doing that is by Feed Anne Arundel, started by Anne Arundel Connecting Together (ACT). Ryan Sirmons from ACT started the conversation with Monica Alvarado at Bread and Butter Kitchen and the idea snowballed, soon becoming 30 restaurants pitching in.
Feed Anne Arundel raises money to pay restaurants to cook meals for people in need. Feed Anne Arundel’s Go Fund Me page (linked here) has raised over $55,000 in donations to provide for our community. Not only is our neighborhood being served the meals they need, but this is also helping kitchen workers at our favorite local restaurants keep their jobs and get more hours. Every $1,000 donated helps 100 meals to be served and brings 10 people back to work.
Feed Anne Arundel directly partnered with AA County Partnership for Children, Youth, and Families and have provided meals to over 600 people at their weekly mobile food pantry. Quickly after they started, Feed Anne Arundel was able to team up with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, who is now managing & distributing funds raised to ensure accurate management and reporting. They are helping to make sure that the money raised is being used as responsibly as possible and touches as many people as it possibly can. Donations can be made through the Cal Ripken Jr. Foundation's website here.
Most recently, there has been a text-to-donate set up by texting "FeedAnneArundel" to 76728.
Some of our favorite Anne Arundel County restaurants have pledged their help in Feed Anne Arundel including Ashling Kitchen & Bar, Bread and Butter Kitchen, Caliente Grill, Chart House, Grumps Café, Harvest Thyme, Lighthouse Bistro, Soul, Metropolitan Kitchen & Bar, Stan & Joe’s Riverside, and more. Even just $5 can help make a difference to families who are struggling the most in these tough times. Please donate what you can to help the ripple effect of good deeds in the county we call home.
Our kitchen has become the people's kitchen.”
– Roxana Rodriquez, owner of Annapolis’ Caliente Grill.