One Million free meals during Covid-19 served by “Serving Our Community” program

One Million free meals during Covid-19 served by “Serving Our Community” program

Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) and UNITE HERE Local 11 partner on “Serving Our Community,” a free meals program to homebound seniors, homeless persons, and low-income families during COVID-19, serve it’s one-millionth meal while providing 860 jobs to union and non-union workers in the hospitality, food service and taxi industries.

Who: Dozens of hotel workers, UNITE HERE Local 11, Hospitality Training Academy (HTA)

What: HTA and UNITE HERE Local 11’s “Serving Our Community” free meals program to homebound seniors, homeless persons, and low-income families during COVID-19, serve it’s one-millionth meal.

When: Monday, September 14, 2020 at 9:30AM – Meal pick up will begin at 10am

Visuals to be available: Footage of staff delivering and packaging meals

Where: Sheraton Grand Los Angeles, 711 S. Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017

Los Angeles, CA: Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) and UNITE HERE Local 11’s “Serving Our Community” (SOC) program will serve it’s one-millionth meal Monday. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the program has served over 6,744 homebound seniors, homeless persons and low-income families, with meals cooked in the industrial kitchens at Levy Restaurants at the Los Angeles Convention Center, JW Marriott LA LIVE, The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, Sheraton Grand LA and The Beverly Hilton.

Providing the cooking, food prep, packaging, and distribution centers, the SOC program has also provided 860 jobs to recently laid-off union and non-union workers in the hospitality, food service and transportation industries. HTA ensures that all meals meet City and County dietary requirements and all workers receive COVID-19 training (safety and sanitation).

SOC addresses three urgent needs facing stakeholders in cities across the country: employing laid-off, out-of-work, trained and experienced professionals; ensuring continuity of service at keystone employers that are a fiscal engine in our region; and providing meals to at-risk populations.

Serving Our Community is an initiative launched by the Hospitality Training Academy (HTA), UNITE HERE Local 11, the hospitality workers’ union, and many of its employers (partnered hotels and event venues). The HTA and UNITE HERE Local 11 partnership received a Master Service Contract with the State of California for Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Bernardino County.

 

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Mayor Eric Garcetti announced at a press conference that the City of Los Angeles has contracted with the Serving Our Community initiative.

LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis speaking about Serving Our Community: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C6eXIrhJWkZdZqzoeLbHLwvFBuO9c_qe/view?usp=sharing

Link to video of Serving our Community: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14UMpfFzA_zUCGPsR7BQizbL-GJBtZb5F?usp=sharing

Link to photo of Serving our Community: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12NbxEJAlwOM-NDKJ_HNR4KjFwzJwANof?usp=sharing

The Hospitality Training Academy (HTA) provides a variety of workforce development, apprenticeship, ESL, and training programs to train low income, marginalized individuals for jobs in the hospitality and food service industry.

UNITE HERE Local 11 is a labor union representing over 32,500 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona who work in hotels, restaurants, universities, convention centers and airports.