Female-founded, volunteer-led
It all started with a bag of flour.
When the pandemic hit, Dr. Marena Lin needed a bag of flour, but her local grocery stores were all out. So she contacted her friend Chef Tracy Chang (Owner/Chef, PAGU), who ordered a 50 lb bag from her supplier for delivery the next day. Together, they realized that this efficient and safe supply chain could be leveraged to help communities in need.
Marena and Tracy worked with Irene Li (Owner/Chef, Mei Mei) and Lily Huang (Director, Mass Jobs with Justice) to better understand the community's need. The four envisioned a food distribution model that would keep their workers employed, their restaurants alive, and their community well-fed.
Starting May 4, 2020, Irene piloted the first weekly deliveries from Mei Mei Restaurant to 250 Latinx families in Everett, MA. Together, Mei Mei and PAGU delivered 50 tons of food in the first 2 months. By June, this collaboration became Project Restore Us.
PRU Today
Through 2 years of uncertainty, Project Restore Us (PRU) responded to call after call for help securing groceries for communities with limited access to high-quality and culturally appropriate foods. We answer the calls to the best of our abilities within the continuously changing public health and economic landscape.
In 2022, we seek to continue to feed our communities through three ongoing programs:
We partner with restaurants to purchase ingredients and pack grocery boxes designated for individual households. We bring on volunteer drivers to deliver these groceries to families in food deserts on a monthly basis.
We partner with restaurants to order bulk groceries from their wholesale distributors and deliver these directly to community organizations, saving our community partners 20-50% off grocery costs.
We purchase affordable dried goods, like rice and beans, to sell directly to customers, with a substantial subsidy, at housing complexes managed by the Boston Housing Authority.
Meet Our Founders
Our Community Partners
