San Francisco was one of the first major cities in the United States to completely shut down due to the global coronavirus pandemic. With non-essential businesses ordered to close, many people found themselves out of work and stuck at home. Without any income, many residents have been struggling to get by, wondering where their next meal will come from.
Former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo knew he had to do something to help, so he called up David Nayfeld, who is a chef at Che Fico Alimentari restaurant. He offered to donate money to pay for people's meals, knowing that it would not only help needy families but would also allow the restaurant to pay their workers during the shutdown.
"I just called David and said, look, is there some way I can donate a bunch of money for a day for you guys to make a bunch of meals and pay for them for families who either are, you know, really economically struggling right now or haven't had time to prepare for the shelter in place?" Costolo told ABC News. "Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone to keep some of your staff employed, and some of these families fed."
Costolo gave an initial donation of $2,000, and Nayfeld announced the creation of the Family Meal Fund in a video on Facebook.
As news of the initiative spread, more people began to donate, allowing the restaurant to feed more and more people each day. The restaurant has since served over 1,500 free meals and makes about 300 dinners for families in need every night.
“David and his team are working nonstop over there,” Costolo said. “I think they did about 320 meals last night. Feeding in upwards of 960 people.”
Costolo said that he believes it is his duty to help out those who need it, especially during a crisis.
“There's a social contract between, you know, people of means in a community and everybody else,” Costolo said. ”And that social contract entails that when the going gets tough, you step up and help out.”
To keep up to date on the latest news about the coronavirus and to understand what you need to stay safe and healthy, check out the Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction podcast from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
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