GASOL FOUNDATION TEAMS UP WITH WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN TO PROVIDE HEALTHY MEALS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY COVID-19
It was a beautiful day at the Forum in Inglewood, California at our Healthy Families event on Saturday, May 23rd! Gasol Foundation teamed up with World Central Kitchen to bring immediate relief and healthy solutions to families impacted by COVID-19. We are proud to share that we provided over 4,000 healthy and fresh grab-and-go meals to vulnerable children and families. We also provided more than 3,000 backpacks from Jansport complete with Gasol Foundation activities to keep kids active and healthy at-home.
“During this crisis, collaboration is more critical than ever to help vulnerable children and families struggling to meet their most basic needs,” said Pau Gasol…”Together, the Gasol Foundation and World Central Kitchen are committed to providing not only immediate relief, but also to provide long-term interventions and create sustainable solutions for children and families.”
World Central Kitchen’s Founder, Chef José Andrés, is a longtime friend of Pau and Marc Gasol. All three hail from Spain and share a passion for food and a commitment to transforming communities through empowering them to live healthier. “My amigos Pau and Marc, we share a DNA, our parents all worked in medicine when we were young. They grew up learning empathy and compassion towards others, which they are showing through the Gasol Foundation and its work to provide healthy, nutritious meals and other relief for children and their families,” said José Andrés, World Central Kitchen’s founder. “World Central Kitchen is proud to stand beside them in Los Angeles, San Antonio, and our native Spain to help in this time of need.”
“This pandemic has not only exacerbated food insecurity issues, but also threatens the physical and mental wellbeing of kids, who no longer have sports and physical activity as part of their daily regimen. Children are under greater stress and their routines have been upended,” Pau shares.
Not only was the event made possible through generous support of donors and partners, including Baby2Baby, who donated 30,000 diapers and wipes. Additionally, many other organizations provided volunteer support including the Woodcraft Rangers, Hawthorne/Lennox Rotary Club, and the students from Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Long Beach. We are so grateful to see so many organizations and individuals come together to help families when they need it most.
COVID-19 has derailed the lives of children and families all over the world. We are happy we could help to provide some aid, as well as a glimpse of hope to those at a time when it may be hard to find. We will continue to provide healthy tools to empower children and urgent resources for all families during, and well-after this pandemic.
If you would like to learn more on the coronavirus and its effects on childhood obesity, check out our article Coronavirus Qurantine: How COVID-19 Affects Childhood Obesity, Healthy Habits and Vulnerable Populations
If you would like to support Gasol Foundation programs, you can donate at https://donate.gasolfoundation.org/