No Us Without You LA
The info below comes directly from the NO US WITHOUT YOU LA website:
ABOUT NO US WITHOUT YOU LA
NO US WITHOUT YOU LA was founded in response to the COVID-19 shutdown of Los Angeles. Our cofounders are hospitality consultants who grew frustrated at the lack of support for undocumented back of house hospitality staff, so they acted. These hospitality workers were unemployed and did not qualify for unemployment insurance benefits even though they pay into the system every paycheck.
In just 24 hours, partners Damián Diaz and Othón Nolasco, created No Us Without You LA a 501c3 public charity aimed at providing food relief to the most disenfranchised hospitality workers affected by the pandemic. Using their own money, the partners discovered they could feed a family of 4 for one week for just $33.
No Us Without You LA has transformed Va’La Hospitality’s Boyle Heights office into a food distribution center. Currently, over 160,000 lbs of food is distributed every week. Donations have enabled the two partners to provide pantry essentials and fresh produce to back-of-house staff such as dishwashers, line and prep cooks. Thus, they have kept alive the heart and soul of the restaurant and bar industry, who are often treated as dispensable.
Nolasco often says that he “is proud to feed those who have fed us for years” this rings true if you’ve ever had the pleasure of working in the hospitality industry in Los Angeles. Undocumented back of house staff are the reason for LA having such a high caliber of food and drink establishments. They are the unsung heroes of the industry which has shaped the success of so many, including Nolasco.
Diaz believes in the narrative that the underdog weaves. He roots for the Individual that puts in the work regardless of how uneven the playing field may seem. The story of the undocumented worker who wants to provide for their family so that they too can have a fighting chance to live the life they deserve.
Damián Diaz believes that what his Business partner Othón Nolasco and him have created is straight forward; We are humans helping humans.
THE MISSION
No Us Without You LA(501c3) provides food security for the undocumented immigrants who are the backbone of the hospitality industry in the greater Los Angeles area. These hard-working women and men who have, for years, fulfilled the unforgiving back of house restaurant positions, now find themselves in the vulnerable position of being unemployed, with little to no government assistance.
Together we can continue to provide food security for undocumented hospitality workers and their families. The heart and soul of our restaurants, bars, and hotels need our assistance more than ever.
Launched with a goal of feeding 30 families a week, No Us Without You LA is now providing food security for over 1,600 families (7,500 humans) every week at no cost. Diaz and Nolasco plan on offering food relief packages through 2021 as a way to show undocumented BOH workers that they are not forgotten. They are not in the shadows. They are seen, heard, and respected.
