ATXHospitalMeals partners with Austin Chinese-American Network to support healthcare workers, local restaurants

AUSTIN, Texas - ATXHospitalMeals has partnered up with the Austin Chinese-American Network so that both organizations can expand their respective charitable programs and help healthcare workers and local restaurants amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Austin construction manager company Flintco is the first corporate giving partner matching dollar-for-dollar donations given through May 1 up to $15,000.

Entrepreneur Matt Silk and his wife Tonya created ATXHospitalMeals after seeing the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on the local restaurant industry and also recognizing the need to get fresh meals to healthcare workers on the frontlines fighting the coronavirus.

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“We were inspired by FrontlineFoods.org who open-sourced their entire program for others to begin delivering meals to hospital staff from restaurants in their hometowns,” said Matt in a news release. “We were able to start our program and begin distributing food in a matter of days. What we thought would be just a few meals has turned into a mission with an incredibly talented group of volunteers and partners. I can’t believe the progress this scrappy group of Austinites has made already.” 

Since March 25, ATXHospitalMeals has raised more than $30,000 to fuel hospital workers through more than 1,200 meals at two St. David’s HealthCare facilities and six ATCEMS first responder command stations, while simultaneously helping drive revenue through local restaurants.

15 different restaurant partners have already participated with several others in the works.

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Capital City Limousine of Austin has also agreed to donate drivers, vehicles and delivery dispatching services bringing a world-class logistics partner into the program.

Meantime the Austin Chinese-American Network (ACAN) began supporting COVID-19 relief efforts on March 21 by helping underprivileged and at-risk groups in the Austin metro area, including people experiencing homelessness, youths in transition, kids in foster homes and students losing access to school meals.

In the past three weeks, ACAN delivered more than 2,100 home-cooked, restaurant-donated and partner-entity donated meals to these vulnerable populations most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also distributed more than 200 restaurant meals to hospitals, first responders, and pharmacists in the same period.

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Vice President of ACAN, Hugh Li, says in a release that it made sense to partner with Matt and Tonya and ATXHospitalMeals because not only did it help augment the community efforts of both organizations, it helped "streamline the overlaps that already exist" and that "adding tax-exempt donations and company matches should open access to new funds and take this program to the next level."

Charitable contributions large and small are accepted through ATXHospitalMeals’ donation form and 100% of the donation goes to local restaurants supplying food for healthcare workers. 

For more information about ATXHospitalMeals, please visit its website to donate, volunteer, or become a restaurant partner.  

Since 2017, ACAN has been dedicated to serving the community, fostering and sharing cultural heritage, member enrichment, and education. You can get more information here.

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