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Long Beach chefs fed 250 homeless people ahead of Black Restaurant Week

Long Beach, California – Long Beach chefs Quianna Bradley, Ronnie Woods, and Vida Virgillito came up with the idea on Tuesday of preparing meals for the homeless before the start of Long Beach Black Restaurant Week, which will take place from January 23 through January 30.

The Long Beach Rescue Mission provides food, housing, clothes, and assistance to individuals who are homeless in the city of Long Beach. The chefs prepared enough food to feed 250 people at the Long Beach Rescue Mission.

“Everybody should have a chance to have a hot meal every single day regardless if they’re in a house or if they’re unhoused, sleeping on couches. You know, hot meals bring a sense of comfort for most people,” said Woods.

The participating chefs, as well as the two feeding sessions on Tuesday, were organized by the non-profit Long Beach Food and Beverage.

“We do this because we love what we’re doing. We like to share what we’re doing with other folks, so why not give everybody a taste of Black Restaurant Week,” Virgillito said.

Long Beach Black Restaurant Week promotes Black-owned food businesses, chefs, and bartenders in the Long Beach area.

Chef Bradley, Virgillito, and Woods said that they wanted to make sure that everyone had an opportunity to have a meal before the event.

“I’ve fed the unhoused before, usually in L.A. We were doing it a lot throughout last year, but it’s kind of always been drop off. We’ve never been able to stay, so this will be the first time we’ll be able to stay and serve and actually see the people enjoy what we’re making,” Bradley said.

Those who were served expressed their gratitude.

“It helps us to get out of ourselves and provide for others. When we see that happening for us, it’s a very joyful feeling,” said Sky McGuire, a participant in the New Life Program at the Long Beach Rescue Mission.

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