Sonoma County nonprofit connects network of restaurants to help feed community

SANTA ROSA, Calif., (KRON) — A non-profit is connecting local restaurants in Sonoma County to help those in need during the coronavirus outbreak. Sonoma Family Meal has raised $350,000 to help keep 17 restaurants open to feed local seniors and food insecure families.

“Very early on we decided that we would like to support restaurants to stay open by paying them to prepare meals for those most in need,” founder of Sonoma Family Meal Heather Irvin said.

The organization started in 2017 in response to the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County but since the coronavirus outbreak began they have switched their operations.

In partnership with local restaurants, farms and food producers in Sonoma County the nonprofit has been able to serve 10,000 meals a week to local seniors and food insecure families.

Through donations the nonprofit is helping restaurants remain open by paying the 17 restaurants $8 per meal. According to SFM they would need an estimated $1 million to continue to help feed Sonoma County’s most vulnerable through June.

The partnership also helps the restaurants themselves as many businesses have closed down or switched operations due to the coronavirus.

“It just seemed like the right thing to do, we couldn’t cook and we wanted to support restaurants,” Irvin said.

With the pay that the restaurants receive by SFM they are able to employ a small group of staff to remain open. Through the partnership with the 17 restaurants in Sonoma County around 100 employees have been able keep their jobs.

“Most of the time the chefs are not taking salary but they’re bringing in the people on their teams that are in the most need of work right now,” Irvin said.