AUSTIN, Texas — With the freezing weather, it can be difficult for those without a home to get food. But one local organization works with restaurants all over Austin to make sure they get fed.
Adam Orman co-founded Good Work Austin in 2019 as a progressive restaurant association.
"We really wanted to make sure that there was an association that could help other businesses pay better wages, provide more benefits, etc.," Orman said.
But during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the group started providing meals to those in need. From there, their efforts just took off.
“Every time there’s been any kind of emergency, we’ve provided meals,” Orman said.
During the past few years' winter storms, they ramped up their service even more. In 2021, they had around 60 local restaurants providing over 100,000 meals to shelters in just two weeks. But something that makes Good Work Austin unique is that the food it gives out is not just donations from restaurants.
“We work with restaurants that guarantee living wages for their employees,” Orman said. “We pay them $10 a meal, and we know that they’re providing complete, nutritious meals for the folks who are in shelters.”
It’s something Orman said will make a difference for these shelters.
“If it wasn’t for that, typically, those places are getting pizza, fast food donations and folks from places that aren’t locally owned,” Orman said.
Combining the restaurant industry with helping people in need is something Orman is passionate about.
“Changing the system in that way is really important to us and getting restaurants more involved in the whole food ecosystem and the recovery effort,” Orman said.
In the next few days, the group plans to provide around 1,500 more meals to seven shelters, which means it willstill need to raise at least $15,000 more to be able to provide these high-quality meals to those in need.
“We do this because this is what we do,” Orman said. “We make food for people.”
If you want to help them make it happen, you can make a donation through their website.