Project Restore Us

It started with a bag of flour… At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Marena Lin could not find a bag of flour at her local grocery store. Marena contacted PAGU Chef/Owner Tracy Chang, who ordered a 50-pound bag of flour for delivery the next day. Recognizing that this was an efficient and safe source of food, these women realized that this supply chain could be leveraged to help communities in need. Marena and Tracy put their heads together and got in touch with Irene Li (Chef/Owner of Mei Mei Restaurant), who had recently piloted a grocery box program for healthcare workers. In order to better understand community needs, these three women brought in Lily Huang (Director of Mass Jobs with Justice), who had been working on COVID-19 relief with MassUndocFund. And so a team was formed. With their restaurant and nonprofit experience (Off Their Plate), Tracy and Irene envisioned a model that would keep their workers employed, their restaurants alive, and their community well-fed. Lily and Marena utilized their experience in community organizing to reach out to local organizations and unions to locate households in need. Starting May 4, 2020, Irene piloted the first weekly deliveries from Mei Mei Restaurant to 250 Latinx families in Everett, MA. A month later, PAGU came online to serve 160 families from the United Food