CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — With a strong commitment and sense of urgency to help amid the rapid increase of Covid-19 cases in the country, Kapampangan chef Vince Garcia has found an opportunity to give comfort and relief to the frontliners by paying it forward through meals he cooked and prepared himself.
A member of Culinarya Pampanga and owner of Rainforest Kichene, Garcia decided to cook 200 proper meals and personally distribute them to the frontliners from different sectors such as healthcare workers, bank employees, police and military at the onset of the enhanced community quarantine.
“I want to share what I have and what I can do to at least show my appreciation to them because of what they are doing. Of course, we need to follow the guidelines that we need to stay at home and for everybody’s safety but since my restaurant is three minutes away from my house, I realized I have this opportunity to help them,” Garcia said.
According to Garcia he will only be donating proper meals to institutions and other essential establishments in this city due to the border checkpoints of the local government unit.
Garcia already distributed meals at various hospitals including Leonardo Manabat Sr. Hospital, JBL Memorial General Hospital, Green City Medical Center, Mother Teresa of Calcutta Medical Center, San Fernandino Hospital, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Medical Center on Thursday.
“I am planning on donating to few bank employees along the way also. I can’t pass by the ones I can’t reach because I’m also considering my safety,” he said.
While receiving an overwhelming response from other frontliners and netizens following his first batch of donation, Garcia has started an online fundraising campaign in order to successively cook and distribute meals to reach other frontliners in this city.
“I have limited funds and since my employees are also under home quarantine, I only do this by myself and with one help. Dalawa lang kami. Our target is to cook 200 meals, these are complete meals like comfort food. I also have to follow the protocol of the government to flatten the curve. But for as long as I can help with as much as I can offer and with what I have, I will help until this lockdown is over,” said Garcia.
To support Cook for Heroes campaign, you may send monetary assistance through https://gogetfunding.com/save-the-frontliners/.
For in kind donations such as LPG, reusable food containers, ingredients, and other cooking essentials, you may send him a message through his official Chef Vince Garcia Facebook page.
