April 2020
To everyone reading this, we hope you are healthy, well, and safe during this time! Thank you to the medical professionals, grocery workers, food industry members, delivery drivers, and other essential industry employees serving on the front-line as we face a global pandemic. If you’re not on the front-line, we hope that you’re doing your part to #flattenthecurve by social distancing and washing your hands frequently, like the CDC recommends. If you’re in need of personal assistance for yourself, your family, or a friend during this time, the TN Justice Center has compiled a list of resources and information to assist Tennessee’s residents.
Since Just Eats launched in 2018, we (the contributor team) have enjoyed eating at local restaurants owned by people of color across TN and meeting some incredible restaurant owners who call TN home. It goes without saying that we are discontinuing features as usual during this time, however, we still want to highlight and support restaurants owned by people of color in TN.
In an effort to support local businesses during this incredibly hard time, we want to amplify the advocacy and fundraising efforts of organizations and coalitions created to help small businesses in the restaurant industry. Even from home, you can support local restaurants and businesses. Below we’ve outlined some ways you can help:
- Partner with FrontLine Foods Nashville to support local restaurants and medical professionals in the mid-state. You can donate today and 100% of your donation will go to restaurants supporting medical professionals. If you’re a local restaurant interested in joining this initiative by providing meals, you can sign up here.
- Donate directly to a COVID-19 assistance fund for hospitality workers in TN created by TN Action for Hospitality in partnership with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
- Sign and share the following petitions to support local restaurants and the restaurant industry nationally:
- State Support: TN Action for Hospitality: “Ask our elected officials to support Tennessee hospitality workers.”
- Federal Support: Save Restaurants Support Letter to Congress.
- Follow the TN Action for Hospitality coalition and Save Restaurants coalition on Instagram.
- Support local restaurants in Chattanooga, Memphis, Knoxville, and Nashville through pickup, curbside, and delivery. The JustEatsTN COVID-19 Instagram highlight is updated daily and includes delivery, takeout, and pickup information on restaurants we’ve featured and ones we hope to visit. Keep viewing our COVID-19 highlight for info. You can also connect with us on Facebook.
We know that COVID-19 is only exposing and increasing the racial inequities that existed before the pandemic. You can view:
- Confronting Racism and Supporting Asian American Communities in the Wake of COVID-19.
- Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the time of COVID19 (which you can sign regardless of religious affiliation).
- Covid-19 is disproportionately taking black lives.
At Just Eats, we are committed to efforts that address and account for these inequities. Is there a restaurant, petition, or fundraising effort you think we should know about? Please email us at contact@justeatstn.org.
Stay healthy and well!
Sincerely,
The Just Eats Team