The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to find their niche when it comes to giving back to those fighting the virus. 

“We have to stay at home to keep our city safe. That made me feel a little helpless. Hey, crises are happening. I’m staying at home. I’m doing my part, but what else can I do that’s more?” Victoria Li said.

That’s when Li contacted her friend Jasmine Truong to create Meals For Chicago back in April. 

“We wanted to create an organization that could really provide immediate relief both to restaurants and immediately recognize some of the contributions of frontline workers, running the gamut from folks working in hospitals to people working in grocery stores,” Truong said.

Since mid-April, they’ve given away almost 200 meals from local restaurants. Through their efforts, they want to bring local businesses together as a way to help both frontline workers and restaurants in the area.

“We are trying to work with restaurants that are near or in close proximity to the organization that we’re donating to encourage that in one community vibe,” Truong said.

During this time, they’ve received donations from people in the city and from all over the country to help give back to those essential workers in Chicago.

Li said, “People who are outside of Chicago have donated as well which has been great. There are people outside the city of Chicago that want to donate to help essential workers, everyday heroes, everywhere.”

“In a way, we are all in this together. It does take a community to keep us going and get us through all of this. So that’s been really inspiring in all of this,” Truong said.

If you would like to donate to their cause, you can head to their GoFundMe or check out their website.

If you would like to nominate our next Hometown Hero, you can click here.