LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to try and find $10 million to back local restaurants in making meals for vulnerable communities.
Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended contracting with the nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen to organize the effort. Through its Restaurants for the People program, WCK has provided more than 20 million meals statewide and kept restaurant workers as well as farmers in business.
“The recently announced restrictions on dining establishments are of great concern to Los Angeles County given that restaurants are the backbone of our economy,” Solis said. “Although COVID-19 cases are increasing and safeguards are necessary, it is incumbent on government to provide support to the county’s restaurant and agricultural industries and their employees.”
Supervisor Sheila Kuehl co-authored the motion, which calls for using any unspent or future coronavirus relief funds to pay for the plan. [View the motion here.]
“This is an idea that could really hit the spot!” Kuehl said. “If L.A. County has unspent federal CARES Act funding, this motion would permit us to support local restaurants, help county families feed their families, and take advantage of the experience of the celebrated nonprofit World Central Kitchen which has already worked with thousands of restaurants and provided millions of meals to people during crises.”
All of the federal coronavirus relief funds granted to the county have been allocated, but that doesn’t mean that they have been fully spent. Monies from the first round of stimulus are required to be spent by Dec. 30.
Another round of funding is under consideration by Congress.
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