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Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
Photos from Pasadena Food Hug
A Pasadena woman has partnered with the Latino Restaurant Association to raise more than $60,000 to buy meals for frontline workers while at the same time supporting local minority-owned restaurants.
Trisha Muse said she started Pasadena Food Hug in August, inspired in part by a similar endeavor at the So Cal Gas Co., where she serves as director of community relations.
Muse said she quickly doubled her initial goal of raising $30,000 for the effort, with more than $63,000 in donations garnered as of this week.
Muse said she was feeling “depressed and helpless” over the pandemic and decided she wanted to set out to do something to help the situation.
“I came up with a Pasadena Food Hug as a way to help out my city where I live and to help the restaurants that serve us,” she said. “That’s why I chose to help Black- and Latino-owned restaurants, because we know that there are inequities.”
Since it wouldn’t be prudent to go around hugging frontline workers as a show of support, Muse said she decided a “food hug” was the next best thing.
“The food is pretty comforting,” she said. “And when you can provide someone a little bit of comfort, I just hope that that helps them feel appreciated knowing that we’re thinking about them.”
On the restaurant side of the equation, “When you think about restaurants and what it means to your community, people celebrate at restaurants. You go to restaurants in good times and bad times. And if they’re not there, that’s just a huge loss for our community. So I really wanted to support the restaurants. And so, by providing the meals for frontline workers, it’s a win-win.”
About $40,000 of the funds have already been used to buy the meals, Muse said. She added that she hopes to raise another $10,000, at least, to add to the remaining funds so the project can continue.
The campaign began with a $5,000 donation by Muse, which was double matched by her employer.
Donations continued pouring in, and Pasadena Food Hug has made a tradition of heading out each Friday to deliver fresh meals to essential workers, according to the organization. They’ve delivered to first responders, retail workers, healthcare workers, utility workers, municipal government workers, and others.
Nine restaurants have benefitted from the boost in business, thus far, including Amigos Mexican Restaurant, El Portal/Yahaira’s Cafe, Urbano Mexican Kitchen, El Metate Café, Chamo Venezuelan Cuisine, Yuca’s Pasadena, Perry’s Joint, Lêberry Bakery & Donut and Bonnie B’s Smokin Barbecue Heaven, Pasadena Food Hug said in a written statement.
Restaurants and recipients alike expressed gratitude
One of the beneficiaries of the meals has been Pasadena Transit.
“We are truly grateful and blessed to be among the recipients of the Food Hug Program,” said Pasadena Transit General Manager Letty Ochoa. “The delicious meals have provided a huge morale boost to our amazing bus operators and other staff members, who are literally on the frontline, keeping our citizens moving throughout the city, providing the best and safest service possible. It’s truly inspiring to see the city coming together in such a positive and supportive way.”
Abel Ramirez, who owns El Portal and Yahaira’s Cafe, thanked the organization for its “tremendous support.”
“We’re proud to partner with them to help our frontline workers,” Ramirez said.
Lêberry Bakery & Donut owners Raynars Ledford and Jennifer Le urged the community to donate to the group.
“The food orders have helped us weather this storm and given us pride in providing ‘hugs’ to our essential workers,” the company said in a statement. “Trisha has done amazing good for our business and the community.”
Muse encouraged others to support their neighbors, as well.
“We’re in such dark and scary times,” she said. “There are a lot of divides right now.”
“And I think if we could all focus on the greater good and try to do something to help and kind of set aside those differences and just look to try to achieve a common goal, just helping our community, that would be a dream,” she said.
More information on Pasadena Food Hug, including a link to make donations, is available online at latinorestaurantassociation.org/pfh.
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