About Us
Our Mission
No Res Gourmet is a non-profit that aims to alleviate the struggles of living on the street by providing healthy, gourmet meals to the homeless in our community
We believe everyone should have access to a good meal, and that being homeless shouldn’t disqualify you. Most importantly, we couldn’t stand the sight of hungry people digging through the trash for something to eat. Everyone should live with dignity, and be well-fed, especially in the richest country on earth.
Meet The Team
Firas Ayyad, Founder, Director of Operations
Firas has spent many years in social activism and the non-profit sector in various capacities. During his college years, he volunteered at many local and international charities that focused on community building and women empowerment, including a program with the United Nations, whereby he was stationed in Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank. Shortly after earning his Masters in International Affairs and Economics from the University of CA, San Diego, he joined the Arab Community Center for Integration Services where he is currently a board member and VP of Operations.
Being a refugee himself, Firas has always related to the plight of the most vulnerable segments of society—none more visible than the homeless community where he lived in Los Angeles. After feeling dissatisfied with the lack of resources available to people experiencing homelessness, he decided to take action to do something different. What began with as a small project to cook meals out of his home kitchen, has now turned into a full-fledged non-profit, serving over 70,000 meals since 2020, as well as collaborations with local shelters and organizations.
Erik Armstrong, Director of Community Relations
Erik has been highly involved in local and international non-profit projects for many years. He is co-founder and operator of the UmSo Water Project, which raises funds to build water wells for villages in remote areas of the Amazon jungle, where water access is very limited to the tribes that live there. He has been leading an effort to establish intentional communities based in various regions around the world, including a collaborative village in Bahia, Brazil. Currently, he is overseeing the Solar-Powered Community Fridge project along with LA Community Fridges Network and No Res Gourmet.
Erik is a strong advocate for the rights of people experiencing homelessness. He volunteered with No Res Gourmet early on in its founding, and since then, he has decided to take on a more impactful and involved role. He has been responsible for much of the growth of No Res Gourmet, most notably improving the process to serve over 1,000 meals weekly. Using his culinary experience, and plant-based healthy lifestyle, he has been key in much of the weekly menu design, preparation, and distribution of meals. His hard work and vast network introduced a number of organizations to No Res Gourmet which resulted in meals reaching many more.