Why Gourmet?

For someone experiencing homelessness, a hot, gourmet meal not only provides nutrition, but a sense of hope.

Homelessness is the most visible, and invisible problem in Los Angeles. 70,000 do not have a place to sleep on a given night. We see encampments everywhere--shaky tents and cardboard structures sprawled across the city sidewalks. In some areas, most notably skidrow, they take up entire blocks. We see men, women, children, and elderly suffering alike.

Yet it is almost entirely invisible.

We may see them in our peripheral vision, but we have trained ourselves to look away. If we drive by, we do so quickly. Common misinformation add to this notion that we must avoid them at all costs. And thus, the gap grows larger between “Us” and “Them”. They are a dehumanized segment of our society; a segment that increases in number every year.

So why Gourmet? Why not just a Meal?

We believe everyone should have access to good food. Most of the homeless population never gets the chance to have an experience we often take for granted: the ability to go to a nice restaurant, order a delicious 3-course meal, and feel full and satisfied. When we give, we usually give our leftovers; food we’ve already picked through, or didn’t like. Why not a nice meal? Why not one intentionally cooked, with love, specifically for those who need it most?

This is how we start to close the gap. We hope to create a movement where people everywhere are cooking with love to serve the hungry in their community. And through this effort, we may realize we're all not so different. We can finally start addressing homelessness more seriously: as a problem we can solve, not an inconvenience we should avoid.

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