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Ladies of London's Marissa Hermer Is Providing Meals to Those in Need Amid COVID-19
The Ladies of London alum's initiative donates meals to medical workers, the elderly, first responders, and more people in need due to the global health crisis.
Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Marissa Hermer is using her businesses to help those in need of a home-cooked meal.
In March, the Ladies of London alum announced that she and husband Matt Hermer would be donating a free family meal from their California brasserie The Draycott to a local in need. "Just leave a comment below, tagging a local Palisadian, Santa Monica or Brentwood resident below who needs a free nourishing meal, made with love," she encouraged her followers the time. "And we will choose one winner for our Saturday night dinner. We will look forward to seeing our weekend winner at our curbside pickup."
The sweet gesture grew to weekly giveaways in which Marissa chooses local recipients from a pool of deserving people nominated by her followers (those selected often include local heroes, people on the frontlines in hospitals, first responders, the elderly, struggling parents, and people who are sick and unable to shop to receive meals) and delivers them home-cooked meals from The Draycott and the couple's other California restaurant, Olivetta.
Now, the initiative has grown even larger. The couple is working hard to deliver home-cooked meals to places including local police and fire stations, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, St. John’s Hospital, and UCLA hospitals' Westwood and Santa Monica locations. To continue feeding as many deserving people as possible, Marissa and Matt have set up a GoFundMe where anyone able can contribute to their efforts in feeding those in need. To date, more than $20,000 of the $50,000 goal has been donated.
"We've been donating meals to those in need the last few weeks because we can. Now you can too," reads a statement on the GoFundMe page. "We want to donate more - but as our own restaurant industry is facing a crisis of our own, we need your help."
"Please donate and we can keep cooking," the statement continues, "and delivering donated meals to the medical workers on the frontlines at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica, UCLA Westwood, Children’s Hospital LA, St. John’s Hospital, to the needy who are in self isolation, to the elderly and those who are unable to shop for themselves."
As they continue to lend a helping hand, the couple is also continuing to operate their restaurants. While The Draycott and Olivetta have temporarily shut their doors amid the pandemic, customers are able to call both restaurants directly for curbside pickup and door-to-door delivery services from Wednesday through Sunday each week.
"We are grateful for our communities support for our YOU GIVE. WE COOK. THEY EAT. program which allows us to prepare and deliver nourishing meals to our heroes on the frontlines, our first responders, and those in need," Marissa told BravoTV.com exclusively. "We are grateful for support and humbled to be able to play a role in feeding our community.”
For the latest, most accurate information on coronavirus, go to the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
