The Ohio Chinese American Association is delivering more than 1,000 hot meals to homeless shelters in Columbus, as a way of giving back to people in need during Asian Pacific Heritage Month.
About 435 meals with chicken, vegetables, rice and a fortune cookie were delivered Friday to both Faith Mission and Star House homeless shelters. Six Asian restaurants in Columbus contributed to the effort.
“Fifty states, 100 cities, one people united,” says Grace Leng of OCAA. “We’re trying to mobilize all the major cities in each state to do this food-themed charity work.”
Leng says the meals are part of a national effort called the Chinese American Food of Love Day, which provides help to those affected by the coronavirus.
“This year, we feel like there’s no better way to celebrate by giving back to the community, because we are in middle of this once-in-100 years pandemic and the community is suffering," Leng says.
Leng says the sting of racist comments blaming the coronavirus on Chinese people also motivated them.
“We feel like probably people always want to point fingers like when there is an issue, so we felt like we want to respond with love instead,” Leng says.
Leng says the group has already delivered hot meals to the Van Buren Homeless Shelter.
On Saturday, May 16, the OCAA will deliver meals to the Volunteers of America Homeless Shelter at 624 Harmon Avenue. The Huckleberry House at 1421 Hamlet Street will receive food on May 19.
In all, the OCAA plans to deliver about 3,000 meals throughout the state.
