{"id":11263,"date":"2021-09-03t14:00:55","date_gmt":"2021-09-03t14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/recipes-for-food-security-covid-prompted-local-communities-to-creatively-combat-food-insecurity-are-structural-solutions-next\/"},"modified":"2021-09-03t14:00:55","modified_gmt":"2021-09-03t14:00:55","slug":"local-communities-creatively-combat-food-insecurity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/local-communities-creatively-combat-food-insecurity\/","title":{"rendered":"recipes for food security | covid prompted local communities to creatively combat food insecurity. are structural solutions next?"},"content":{"rendered":"
san francisco\u2014george kwong\u2019s passion is to make people happy through food. the 63-year-old is a long-time resident of san francisco and held his job as a hotel kitchen supervisor for 34 years. in march 2020, he was a victim of the pandemic\u2019s economic downturn. his employer put him on furlough, making him one of hundreds of thousands<\/a> in california that lost their jobs in the disproportionately impacted food service and hospitality industry since february. <\/p>\n \u201cwhen we first got furloughed, we thought it was only a couple months, like two months, three months,\u201d kwong said. \u201cand then they keep extending, extending, extending. the city opened back but the hotel didn\u2019t have enough conventions, meetings, or tourists so they don\u2019t have the revenue to call everyone back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n the month he was put on furlough, george started volunteering at the san francisco marin food bank to help out his community. months later, in june 2020, the food bank hired kwong. he plans to continue working there even after he returns to his job at the hotel.<\/p>\n \u201cworking at the hotel wasn\u2019t just a job, it\u2019s what i like to do,\u201d he said. \u201cif people are happy with the food you make, you are happy too. same thing, when you serve the community, you help people and make them happy.\u201d<\/p>\n