[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 124 (Thursday, July 9, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF MEALS FOR HEROES MIAMI

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                         HON. DONNA E. SHALALA

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 9, 2020

  Ms. SHALALA. Madam Speaker, founded on April 1, 2020, Meals for 
Heroes Miami has become foundational to South Florida's efforts to 
combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This organization was founded by Miami 
natives Will Osborne and Karen Bechtel, and Will's son Mac, a New York-
based restauranteur.
  This non-profit, donation-based organization emerged to address two 
issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic: feeding the stressed and 
exhausted frontline workers risking their lives daily and protecting 
jobs at Miami restaurants. Meals for Heroes Miami, powered by community 
donations, serves both these needs by purchasing and delivering meals 
from local restaurants to frontline workers.
  By mid-May, Meals for Heroes Miami had purchased and delivered 10,000 
meals to workers; fed teams at 24 hospitals, testing centers, first 
responder departments, prisons, and other locations; and preserved 
approximately 50 jobs at 22 partner restaurants. The organization has 
only continued to grow in the time since.
  This kind of innovation is precisely what we need in communities 
across the country to conquer this pandemic and help families support 
themselves. I commend Will, Karen, Mac, and all those who have donated 
to this fantastic cause for their service to our shared community.

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