Best of Boston

2020 Best Effort to Feed the Frontline

Off Their Plate

Frontline healthcare workers are overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic—that’s why Harvard Medical student Natalie Guo came up with the idea for Off Their Plate, a program that cooks meals for hospital staffers and gets laid-off restaurant employees back on the job. Since launching locally with partners Tracy Chang (chef-owner of Pagu) and star restaurateur Ken Oringer, the initiative has raised $6 million, fed thousands across nine cities, and partnered with World Central Kitchen, celebrity chef-philanthropist José Andrés’s global nonprofit. Sounds like a pretty full plate, actually.