CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- American Airlines is donating over 8,000 pounds of food to to benefit Chicago restaurant workers whose jobs have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The donation is in partnership with the LEE Initiative Restaurant Workers Relief Program and The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group and is the airline’s second local contribution to the LEE Initiative, with a total of 13,500 pounds of food donated to the Chicago community kitchen in the last two months.
The food, which includes cheddar cheese, olive oil, bagels, tortilla wraps, phyllo crisps, and more, will be delivered on May 19 to West Town Bakery, which has been transformed into a community kitchen and relief center. According to American Airlines, the Fifty/50 Restaurant Group chefs will create a menu from the donation and assemble to-go meals and grocery bags that will feed restaurant industry workers over the next couple of weeks.
“As Chicago’s Airline of Choice, we are committed to serving our team members and customers in the communities we call home,” said Franco Tedeschi, Vice President – Chicago, in a statement. “With a decreased demand for air travel, we had a surplus of food and we’re pleased to do our part to care for people in need during these unprecedented times.”
The LEE Initiative is a non-profit organization founded by James Beard Foundation award-winning Chef Edward Lee to give back to local communities in a variety of ways. The Restaurant Workers Relief Program was created to support restaurant workers impacted financially due to coronavirus. Chef Lee is helping to turn restaurants across the country into community kitchens with local chefs like Chef Teixeira and Chef Martin Arellano from The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group.
“We are honored and fortunate to partner with American Airlines, The LEE Initiative, and Chef Edward Lee to provide relief to restaurant workers across Chicago at West Town Bakery & Diner. Our chefs are cooking hundreds of meals per day right now, and we're inspired by how dedicated and driven they are to provide great food to their fellow industry workers. Donations like these from American Airlines are a lifeline in helping us feed those in need, and we are truly grateful for their support,” said The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group partner and executive pastry chef Chris Teixeira, in a statement.
American also donated 63,000 breakfast bags to the Greater Chicago Food Depository in early April. Since American began donating product in late March, the airline has donated 175 tons of food and beverage product throughout its global network.