So far, we have delivered 216,340 pounds of food to 1,722 essential worker families, restoring 1,916+ shift hours to restaurant workers. We partner with restaurants and community organizations to build resilience that can endure.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Chef Tracy Chang (PAGU) started Off Their Plate to feed the healthcare community amidst the first COVID-19 surge.

Tracy and Irene Li (Mei Mei) have prioritized public safety and shut down indoor dining. Realizing grocery delivery is a safe way for restaurants to make money while helping their community, Project Restore Us was born.

Your neighbors and your city's restaurants need help. You can lend them a lifeline.

This is the most critical time to help. With vaccines coming but not available to many until spring or summer, COVID-19 infections and hospital cases are surging.

$50,000 will allow us to deliver a month's worth of groceries to 200 families this winter. Your donations will allow us to feed a new group of families in collaboration with new community and restaurant partners.

So far, we have served worker families in Somerville, Everett, Chelsea, East Boston, Chinatown, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, Quincy, Malden and Revere.

Our community partners: UFCW Local 1445, La Comunidad, Inc., Cambridge Community Foundation, Cambridge Mutual Aid, Chinese Progressive Association, Solidarity Supply Distro, Eastie Farm, Asian American Resource Workshop, and Boston Community Pediatrics.

Our restaurant partners: PAGU, Mei Mei Boston, Mae Asian Eatery, Suya Joint

Thank you for your support,

Team Project Restore Us

FAQs

Is this donation tax-deductible?

Yes! Project Restore Us is fiscally sponsored by Commonwealth Kitchen, 501(c)3. To claim this donation as a deduction on your US taxes, please keep the email receipt as your official record. Commonwealth Kitchen's EIN number is: 27-0648497.

How does it work?

Local restaurants partner with community or labor organizations to safely deliver groceries to families in need. We rely on grants and donations to purchase groceries and pay restaurant workers a living wage.

How is this different from a food bank or pantry?

Saving restaurants

Our restaurants have shut down indoor dining – sacrificing revenue for public health. Grocery delivery is a safe way for them to make money and survive the winter.

Efficient and familiar

Providing groceries is more efficient than prepared meals. Our chefs design grocery selections to be nutritious, long-lasting, and culturally appropriate. Families get to cook food how they want.

Home delivery for all

During a pandemic, everyone should have access to home delivery. Our volunteer drivers provide contactless delivery so the vulnerable can stay safe at home instead of waiting in line.