Buy a T-shirt, help employ a chef.
North Loop Minneapolis clothing store Askov Finlayson is selling T-shirts to raise funds for Minnesota's Central Kitchen, a volunteer program that could turn into paid employment for newly out-of-work Twin Cities cooks.
The $25 shirts come in black or white, men's or women's, and say "Cold hands, warm hearts. Northern Hospitality." One-hundred percent of the proceeds go to Second Harvest Heartland, which earlier this week announced a partnership with Twin Cities restaurants to feed Minnesota's hungry.
The program is is making use of full restaurant pantries, food donations, and the talents of hospitality professionals who recently found themselves out of a job. All on-premise dining in Minnesota was ordered closed as of Tuesday to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Many restaurants are transitioning to delivery and curbside pickup orders, keeping on only a fraction of the staff needed to run a busy restaurant.
Out-of-work cooks have already begun volunteering with Minnesota's Central Kitchen to cook hot meals for hunger relief, an effort coordinated by Chowgirls Killer Catering, the Bachelor Farmer and Restaurant Alma. As more restaurants sign on, the goal is to have five kitchens producing 10,000 meals per day — and employing more than 250 people, said Eric Dayton, co-owner of Askov Finlayson and the Bachelor Farmer.
Buying a shirt at askovfinlayson.com/collections/northern-hospitality is one way to contribute. Monetary donations can also be made at 2harvest.org/northernhospitality.
"So often in the past, the hospitality industry has stepped up to support our community," Dayton said. "Now it's time for our community to support hospitality during this unprecedented time of need."
