It was December 12th, 2020 when we first launched our Giving Meals program. In the midst of a global pandemic, weeks after indoor dining in Colorado was shut down completely, and during the first snowy, cold week of the winter season. I was gazing out onto our empty dining room floor feeling exhausted and sad and incredibly uncertain about the future when the idea dawned on me: We may not be able to serve guests the way we want to, but we have a big, beautiful kitchen and a team of people ready to work. Why not feed people who are in need?
Our location in Five Points serves as a constant reminder of the housing crisis in Denver. There are tent encampments dotted throughout the neighborhood, often right around the corner from us, where folks are constantly living in fear of the next “sweep” when the city spends tons of money and resources forcing people to move. The situation feels particularly dire when the winter weather arrives and living without shelter becomes even more fraught.
We are a restaurant, so solving the housing crisis is beyond our capacities. But, what we can do is make food. Lots of food! And once we started our Giving Meals program we found that so many of our guests and the people in our community were excited to help us with that effort. We feel incredibly grateful to have their continued support and plan to expand our hunger relief efforts in the coming year as we work to establish a non-profit called The Preservery Foundation.
THE BASIC DEETS: Folks can purchase a Straight Up Gift meal for $6 or a Giving Meal (get one, give one) for $12. Every hot, wholesome meal purchased gets delivered directly to someone in need! Meals are available for purchase on-site at the restaurant or in our online store (visit the link below).