Restaurant and foodservice companies around the country are reaching out to assist those in Texas impacted by Hurricane Harvey.
Though Harvey is no longer a hurricane, flooding from the storm continues to affect restaurants and other businesses, as well as residents in the Houston area.Many businesses have had to close and scores of residents are facing property damage after evacuating their homes.
Companies – large and small – are donating food and raising funds to help. Starbucks, Amazon Whole Foods, Anheuser-Busch and PepsiCo have all offered financial or in-kind donations to assist the victims. Independent operators, like Cane Rosso and localfood truck owner James Canter, plus a group of restaurateurs in New Orleans, have stepped up to provide relief, too.
Here’s a sampling of what’s being done to help the hurricane’s victims:
Starbucks
The Starbucks Foundation has donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross. In addition, customers can make their own contributions to Harvey relief efforts at any Starbucks store in the United States. The Red Cross will receive those funds.
Amazon and Whole Foods
The recently merged companies are matching cash donations to the Red Cross of up to $1 million made on Amazon.com.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation have donated $1 million to the Red Cross to aid the hurricane victims.
Cane Rosso restaurants
Jay Jerrier, owner of the Dallas-based eight-unit pizzeria chain, is donating all proceeds from the night’s food and beverage sales at its Deep Ellum location on Aug. 29.
Guerilla Gourmet
Chef James Canter, who operates a local food truck, has started a Gofundme page to provide hot meals for hurricane victims in Victoria, Texas. In just one day, he raised more than $7,000 toward his original goal of $10,000. So far, he’s raised more than $14,000.
Louisiana Flood & Disaster Outreach
In Louisiana, a group of chefs is donating gift cards to support Houston restaurant employees affected by the hurricane. According to the Louisiana Restaurant Association, Amy Sins, chef-owner of Langlois Culinary Crossroads in New Orleans, is spearheading the weeklong drive to collect gift cards to Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Target and various gas stations, among others, to help industry employees and operators. Visit theFlood & Disaster Outreach – New Orleans Cooks Facebook page for more information on how you can help.
Anheuser-Busch
Budweiser’s parent company halted beer production on Aug. 28 to make more than100,000 cans of drinking water at its Cartersville, Ga.-based facility for hurricane victims. The company delivered the cans to the Red Cross’ Baton Rouge, La. location.
Source: NRA.com
