Plates in the Pandemic

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Front Cover Goes Here



D esi gn cr eated by Gr egor Cr esn ar f r om T h e N ou n Pr oject


Table of Contents

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Covid-19: Month by Month

Eating Out During the Pandem ic

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13

The Reality Austin Restaurants of Essential Revitalized Workers In the Pandem ic

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17

Food Essential Trucks Workers During the and Covid Pandem ic


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29

Food Industry During Covid

Unem ploym ent Rates During Covid in the US

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Fighting Food Insecurity

Letters From the Editors

25 Food Industry During Covid


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A photo of an empty restaurant. (Photo courtesy of Kaboompics .com from Pexels)

nt ra au st d al Re Don i n Mc st or nn Au Co

: By

i ev sR ed liz ta

Many restaurants are not able to stay open due to the pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Erik Mclean from Pexels) Folio 3 and Page Number Here


Carr said.

ed liz ita ev

L

ocal restaurants have been hit hard by the pandemic. Since

?I'll never forget the day. It was Sunday night at 10 p.m.. We all

March, many establishments

got on a phone call, everyone

have had to furlough

in the company, the directors

employees, temporarily close

and managers. We made the

down and some have been

decision to close all of our

forced to permanently close.

locations. And we did it before

Joe Carr, General manager at

we were forced to do it by the

Easy Tiger Bake Shop and

government. We just felt that

Beer Garden, and Maria

we needed to show leadership

Corbalan, owner of Maria?s

with our team and in the

Taco Xpress explain how their

community. That we all needed

restaurants have been

to take this thing seriously and

affected by the pandemic.

act quickly.? Easy Tiger recognized

The Easy Tiger Bake Shop and Beer Garden has

the danger of the virus and

managed to keep its doors

acted prematurely. Their early

open and its customers safe

planning paid off. They were

in the pandemic.

able to keep their customers

pounds of flour in our bakery that we weren?t using because all of our wholesale clients were closed down, so we were happy to give her some flour. We started putting flour on the menu and the next weekend, we had a line

?There's been a lot of late nights and we just all have to sit down together and figure it out. In these times, you can't leave the table without resolution."

almost half a mile long down the road of people and employees safe and

?Even before they canceled

just wanting to pick up discover new business

South by Southwest is when we all were like, ok, we need

bags of flour. That opportunities at the same kick-started our survival time.

to prepare, if this thing actually hits as hard as

for the spring.? ?I'll never forget the day Easy Tiger is

they're saying it's going to hit

when a woman came to the

then we need to get a game

drive-thru and said, ?We just

plan going pretty quickly,?

went to H-E-B and they don't

working hard to ensure the safety of its customers and employees, but it have anything. Do you guys hasn?t all been sunshine have flour??We had 40,000 4


?The safety and health precautions that we take are immense. And, you know, we have to spend a lot more time and resources on things now. But we're totally comfortable

compassionate and extremely hardworking. They say it takes a village, and it's truly happening right now. It's an amazing thing to be a part of,? Carr said. Maria?s Taco Xpress,

doing that because it's what

which has been serving tacos

needs to be done to keep us

on South Lamar for over 25

safe,? said Carr.

years, is being forced to close

"It hasn't been perfect, of course, but we're all in it for the same end goal. You have to be open to everyone's thoughts and try and see the situation from 10 different lenses to get the full picture. Everyone's got to have a voice

its doors for good due to the pandemic. Their final day of operation will be on Dec. 20, 2020. Maria Corbalan, owner and founder of Maria?s Taco Xpress, explained what it?s like to run a restaurant in a pandemic.

and an opinion that matters

?We have to be very

right now.?

conservative about how many

While it has been rough, Carr says that this pandemic has taught him a lot about himself and the people around him.

employees we have. It is very dangerous to have a bunch of people cooking together. Now, we only have five employees in the entire restaurant.? Corbalan said. ?I completely

?I've learned that the people shut down the inside of the that we're surrounded with restaurant because I think it is and this Austin community are dangerous to eat in an incredible and extremely enclosed environment.? 5

It wasn?t the pandemic alone that forced Maria to shut down her restaurant. The pandemic came at the worst time possible, and it was a perfect storm that would eventually pull her under. ?I had also been embezzled by one of my employees that had worked here for 20 years. And I didn't know. I didn't notice. I didn't understand why my business wasn't doing well,? Corbalan said. ?And so I fired him, and everything was perfect, and then the pandemic hit me, so I couldn?t support the business.? ?But I never put money before tacos. I always make sure people come first. When the pandemic hit, I immediately removed half of the tables on the patio and put them at a distance that they should be. I started operating at 25% capacity. Operating at 25% is impossible to keep the

e u ple t o Xp o o os cl om h ac A e, c s. (P ?s T at n ia pl bea Mar

and rainbows.


business alive, but I don't think we are safe to open further than 25%. Closing down and saying goodbye to everyone after over a quarter of a century has been one of the hardest decisions of

together to keep everyone safe.

my life.? Corbalan

?Life is uncertain, so live

said. ?But I'm proud of

every day like it's your last

myself that even

day. Try to be happy. Let's

though it took me

be patient for a vaccine to

under, I did everything

get us out of this.

that I could to keep people safe.? Despite her

"In t he

Although local restaurants are facing challenges that have never been seen

tremendous loss,

before, they are dedicated

Corbalan remains

to keeping Austin?s diverse

optimistic and hopes

food culture alive without

that the Austin

sacrificing the safety of

community can work

the community.

m eant im e, wear a m ask. Wash your hands. Keep your dist ance. And we can get back t o norm al as soon as possible.?

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Food Tr ucks Dur ing the Pandemic By Ariana Athreya

A selection of cookies from Nuha?s Sinful Desserts (photo by Yuki Davidoff, 2014)

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Nuha?s Sinful Desserts, a food trailer located on Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX (photo by Yuki Davidoff, 2014)

OVID-19 has changed many aspects of our lives,

online ordering streamlining the kitchen, we?re typically

food being no exception. People aren?t able to go out and

able to do anywhere from one-and-a-half to two times

enjoy a night with friends anymore. Everyone has to stay

the volume per hour, with fewer people. While online

distanced from each other and always be sure to be

ordering and pre-orders require a lot of prep work ahead

wearing a mask. Due to reduced foot traffic, countless

of time, they have made such a huge difference for us

food trucks have lost business. Food trucks are a big part

and our customers. It will be the way forward long-term.

of Austin and there are many different cuisines. Thanks

I?m really excited for when we get beyond COVID-19 and

to third-party delivery systems, such as UberEats,

can get fully staffed up again with this new service

DoorDash, and GrubHub, most food trucks have been

model.?

able to stay open. Many now provide meals that can be delivered right to peoples?neighborhoods, allowing them to ?dine out? even while indoor dining is restricted.

Food trucks have had to implement many new rules and regulations, including making sure employees and

This pandemic is difficult for everyone, but society is

customers always

learning and adapting to the new norms. In fact,

wear masks,

COVID-19 has even improved systems that were

stay at least

previously used.

6ft apart

Justin Trubiana is the owner of Dee Dee, a Thai food truck in Austin. Dee Dee won the Eater Austin award in 2016 for Best Food Truck.

from others, and wash their hands

In a recent Eater Austin article, Trubiana said, ?With

regularly.

Our primary focus has been keeping our employees safe. ~Liz Nyfeler, General Manger, Patrizi's Food Truck 8


?We had to implement new systems such as online

family-based business that values all of our staff and that

ordering and be constantly ready to adjust and change

is a heartbreaking notion for all of us,? Papadakis said.

our operations. Now we are slowly phasing in some

For some food trucks, business is coming along nicely.

outdoor seating but it will be quite a while until we are back to ?normal?." Liz Nyfeler, general manager at Italian

According to Nyfeler in an Eater Austin article, ?Moving to operate as a takeout restaurant was strange at first ?

food truck Patrizi?s, said.

prior to COVID we didn?t accept any to-go orders. We Food truck businesses care

wanted everyone to sit down

deeply for their customers

with friends and family for a

and their staff and are doing

proper Italian meal ? spend a

everything they can to keep

few hours eating, drinking,

them as safe as possible.

laughing, and arguing with

?We are taking all and every

each other. There was

precaution we possibly can

definitely a small fear that

to stay safe ourselves and

there wouldn?t be the same

maintain the safety of all of

demand without the in-person

our customers,? Emmanouil

service and ambiance.

Papadakis, owner of Big Fat

Thankfully, we?ve seen a ton of

Greek Gyros, said.

support from our regulars, and we?ve also gained a lot of new

?Our primary focus has been

customers who might have

keeping our employees

previously been scared off by

safe.? said Nyfeler, ?All customers are required to wear a mask to pick up their

our long line on busy nights.?

food. Employees who may have been exposed to COVID

For others, however, business has been tough. Tebi

are to get tested at the company's expense and

Nguyen, owner of Vietnamese restaurant and food truck

quarantine until their results come in. They receive pay

Saigon Le Vendeur, explains in an Eater Austin article that

for any missed shifts as well.?

We are taking all and every precaution we possibly can to stay safe ourselves and maintain the safety of all of our customers. ~Emmanouil Papadakis, owner, Big Fat Greek Gyros Food Truck 9

they have had to close down their truck. ?We decided to close our truck at Third Street and

Unfortunately, many places

Congress Avenue. We tried to reopen for a period of time after the shutdown lifted, but business was not enough

have had to

to keep us in operation, for even paying the rent or our

let go of

employees. Food trucks and restaurants in downtown

some of

Austin survive mostly from office employees and partly

their

from tourists and with both sources gone, we are left

employees. ?We are a small,

suffering,? Nguyen said. We can only hope that small food businesses will be able


(previous page) photo by Sophie Mikat on Unsplsh, (below) Greyhound Cocktail (courtesy of Drinksfeed)

to make it through this stressful time. ?There is always a silver lining, a rainbow at the end of the storm, but honestly, all of the small locally owned businesses won?t see it soon. I hope we all are going to make it through the other side, but right now, we just want to make sure our staff is safe and get their pay on time. Our goal now is just to stay afloat, keep our staff safe and healthy and maintain our food quality,? Nguyen said. Although there has been less tourist business, regulars have continued to support food trucks. Those in the food truck business are very grateful to their customers for helping them through this pandemic.

In many ways, food trucks are less risky than restaurants

?The majority of support has been our regular locals. The

because they are limited to drive-thru, delivery, takeout,

love and support has been nothing short of

and curb-side pick up, and only some have outdoor

overwhelming,? Trubiana said.

seating. Since people are outside, they don?t need to

?Every day is a new challenge in this sensitive time for us, but we have to give a really big thank you and appreciation to our customers for continuing to support us throughout this time and our staff who have been

worry about poor air circulation, which can put them at higher risk. Because they are such an important part of Austin culture, hopefully food trucks will be able to make it through this pandemic.

continuing to rock with us,? Nguyen said.

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What ar e t he Best Food Deliver y Ser vices? (Uber Eats, Seamless, Grubhub, Doordash)

Uber Eats -

Excel l en t op ti on i f y ou al r ead y u se U ber Real - ti m e d el i ver y tr ack i n g T h e ap p i s easy to u se N o- con t act d el i ver i es, p er f ect f or d el i ver y am i d t h e p an d em i c

Seamless -

-

Gr ubhub -

-

Gr u bh u b ow n s Seam l ess so th e ap p s ar e al m ost i d en t i cal an d easy to u se. Su p p or ts m u l t i p l e m et h od s of p ay m en t Par t n er s w i th a gr eat v ar i ety of r estau r an ts You can sear ch f or r est au r an ts by cu i si n e or l ocat i on

Sources:

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-

Best Food Deliver y Ser vice: Doordash, Gr ubhub, Uber Eat s, and More Compared, by Cnet Best Food Deliver y Ser vices in 2020: Gr ubhub vs Uber Eat s vs Doordash, by Tom's Guide 10 Best Food Deliver y Ser vice Apps That You Must Tr y in 2020, by Ur ban Tast ebud

by Ar iana Athr eya

Ex t en si ve r each over 4,0 0 0 U .S ci ti es an d L on d on , UK D el i ver s f r om l ocal r estau r an ts an d n at i on al ch ai n s M u l ti p l e m et h od s of p ay m en t T h e ap p h as d i scou n t s an d d eal s

Doordash -

Good f or d i scover i n g r estau r an ts Easy or d er i n g an d qu i ck r eor d er i n g of f avor i t e f ood s O p ti on s to tr ack , p i ck u p , an d sch ed u l e y ou r or d er s D el i ver s br eak f ast, l u n ch , d i n n er , an d even al coh ol i c bever ages


Eat ing Out Dur ing t he Pandemic The Pros and Cons

PROS # 1 - You d on 't h ave t o go sh op p i n g f or a bu n ch of i n gr ed i en t s an d p u t y ou r sel f at r i sk , al t h ou gh eat i n g at a r estau r an t i s p r obably m or e r i sk y.

by Ar iana Athr eya

CONS # 1 - y ou can 't be w i t h f r i en d s an d f am i ly # 2 - th e f ood m i gh t n ot be as w el l m ad e becau se th er e ar e l ess em p l oy ees # 3 - y ou can 't eat i n si d e at m ost p l aces

# 2 - You can t r y n ew f ood s an d d i scover n ew cu i si n es # 3 - I f y ou go by y ou r sel f , y ou get a br eak f r om y ou r f am i ly, an d y ou d on 't h ave t o i n ter act w i t h ot h er p eop l e

# 4 - y ou can on ly take ou t at m ost p l aces # 5 - th e f ood m i gh t be m or e ex p en si ve th an u su al

Sources: -

The Pros and Cons of Eat ing Out , by Mindful Living Inst it ut e Cooking at Home vs. Eat ing Out , by Environment al Conscience Pros and Cons of Eat ing ver sus Cooking at Home, by Sur vey Compare UK

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The Reality of Essential Worker s in the Pandemic by Samantha Morse

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"People who we call essential workers -- we don?t respect them enough. We just expose them to so much risk" During the COVID-19 pandemic, when nearly everything has been shut down, many essential workers, such as first responders, doctors, or grocery store employees, have stayed at their jobs. Often working long hours and earning minimum wage, these workers are vital to so many people, and put themselves at risk everyday. There are roughly 55 million essential workers in the U.S. Especially in the earlier stages of the pandemic, . Dr. Aliya Hussaini is a pediatrician and has been working with possible COVID patients. Hussaini works at the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF) and volunteers at the People?s Community Clinic. ?I direct the health portfolio at the foundation,? Hussaini said. ?The areas of focus there are probably three things. I work on affordability of healthy food for low income families, I work on local medical community development in Austin, the medical school and the things that are associated with the medical school, and then the third area of focus is on the healthcare workforce.?

Hussaini has stayed at her jobs in person during COVID, continuing to directly help people and make a positive impact. ?The best part about my clinical work is that it?s very directly about helping kids and families. Giving them good guidance, taking care of their health, trying to keep them safe and well. And so that kind of direct service was actually really inspiring and motivating.? Hussaini said. She also works with MSDF to provide relief during COVID. The Foundation focuses on grants and has also received funding in order to provide relief and aid research for COVID. ?Our foundation decided to do a lot of grantmaking around COVID, in some cases we had new funding to try and figure out solutions for COVID.? Hussaini said. She also commented on another large part of her foundation work. ?We were really able to support a lot of the big school districts in the country that were figuring out how to feed kids and families when they couldn?t get access to healthy food.? COVID has made a large impact on healthcare workers and how they do their jobs. Many procedures and protocols have changed, in response to the pandemic. Hussaini said, ?The biggest changes are that our clinic quickly transitioned to telemedicine, so a lot of visits were done via computer, via telehealth. We were all wearing PPE [Personal Protective Equipment] all the time, we were trying to ration our PPE to make sure we had

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enough, but we were also always wearing goggles and gowns and masks in every room.? She also explained some of the changes in the atmosphere in the clinic. ?All of the staff seemed really nervous and on edge. Pediatrics is supposed to be fun and happy, and it was not fun or happy. It was nervous and scary and

"It?s a wonderful thing being able to help our community feel safe and protected and there is no better time to be present as a health care worker.?

respect them enough. Like we say, people who work in the grocery stores are essential workers, but we just expose them to so much risk, and it?s not like they have any of the protective equipment we do.? Even with the global pandemic, large groups of people have still been coming together, often not taking preventive measures such as social distancing or wearing masks. It can be very damaging, especially to essential workers. ?If you?re not at risk of getting sick, there are plenty of people that you could infect that could be really sick. And there are a lot of people who have to be out there, like the essential workers we?ve been talking about, which could be a doctor and could be a grocery store person, it could be a whole bunch of folks who are putting themselves at risk to keep the world going.? Hussaini said. Jennifer Tran, Pharmacy Technician at Tarrytown Pharmacy, has also continued to work in-person

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quiet, and just trying to sort of make it through, trying to survive.? Hussaini is a healthcare worker, and there are very large precautions, like the PPE for example. However, not every essential worker has those same precautions taken. ?Other people who we call essential workers -- we don?t

during the pandemic, helping provide healthcare to many people. ?The biggest changes we?ve had to make because of COVID is finding new ways to deliver health care service in a safe manner that is accommodating to all kinds of people.? Tran said. The pharmacy does curbside pickup, they take appointments for shots such as flu shots, they?re always taking preventative measures such as wearing masks, and they?re even staying educated on COVID research so they can provide information about it. The pharmacy?s services and Tran?s work have been essential during the pandemic, providing many amenities to customers, including vital healthcare. ?I consider myself an essential worker because our community still needs access to health care even in the midst of a pandemic where most things are shut down or restricted.? Tran said. ?We still take care of patients by providing them with their appropriate medications but we also


keep important resources on hand to help keep our patients safe. Most importantly, as a pharmacy, we are able to provide accessible information to anyone who calls in or walks in as well as smooth over any misunderstandings that may occur in a patient?s health care journey.?

As a pharmacist and essential worker, Tran has been working and helping many people during the pandemic. Tarrytown Pharmacy also provides COVID testing, which has not been widely available. ?I entered pharmacy with helping people in mind and the pandemic really allowed me to step up to

the job when so many people were struggling to adapt to the new circumstances. People are rightfully scared and worried and I have the means to help them by providing them with accurate information as well as helpful advice in the midst of the unknown.? Tran said. ?I was even able to be a part of COVID testing for our community and that was an amazing experience considering testing had been so difficult to have access to at the start of the pandemic. It?s a wonderful thing being able to help our community feel safe and protected and there is no better time to be present as a health care worker.?

An essential workers takes the proper precautions in order to stay safe at his job.

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FOOD STAMPS!!

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FIGHTING FIGHTING FOOD FOOD INSECURITY INSECURITY DURING COVID-19

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BY: NORAH HUSSAINI


Food insecurity was already one of the biggest problems in America pre-COVID. Now, the number of people who have to worry about where their next meal is coming from may rise to 50 million people, including 17 million children. This is almost 15% of America. Unemployment rates are also rising, the amount hitting a 14.7% in April of this year. In addition, as many as 34 million people may be at risk of eviction because of the pandemic. Unemployment and eviction, on top of the looming threat of not being able to eat, may be a lot to deal with for some people. Kara Hedlund is a mobile pantry supervisor at Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB). She has been with CTFB for just around 19 months and has also done tons of work in that time. ?I started here at the food bank working on our mobile pantry program, which essentially is a big truck filled with food that goes out into areas where we don't have a lot of food pantries, and we set one up in parking lots,? Hedlund said. ?My roles were to coordinate the distribution, meet folks who are coming to pick up food, make sure we were compliant with all the food safety, and make food eligible for some of the programs that we participate in.? Hedlund has to get up at 6:15 a.m., work in heat and rain, and face many other challenges at her job. Though she has

to go through these things, she is still able to keep her spirits up. ?Removing food from the list of things they?re worried about and making it easy for folks in a respectful, dignifying process-it inspires me every day to see that we are able to accomplish that. I know it?s so important that people have healthy, nutritious food and that people have access to it and the folks that I work with are extremely dedicated,? Hedlund said. ?It is a labor of love and it really shows me the need that exists within our service territory, which is 21 counties.? Now that COVID-19 has become a part of everyone?s lives, there?s been changes in the ways people do things. Although Covid did cause some new challenges for the Mobile Pantry service, it didn?t stop the team from doing what was best for people. ?Basically, its old version was kind of a walk-up, clients could pick what they wanted and then they could go about their day. During the pandemic we had to radically change that model to a drive-thru service on a very very large scale for some areas. There were certain areas where month to month we would serve about a hundred households and now it?s

?Rem ov i n g fo o d f r o m t h e l i st o f t h i n gs t h ey?r e w o r r i ed ab o u t an d m ak i n g i t easy fo r fo l k s i n a

1200, so our team put together a really

r esp ect f u l , d i gn i fyi n g p r o cess-i t

detailed plan to keep clients and volunteers

i n sp i r es m e ever y d ay t o see t h at

safe during these large drive-thru events. It goes very well, it?s very efficient. It?s different

w e ar e ab l e t o acco m p l i sh t h at ." 22


from how it used to look, but people walk away with what they need,? Hedlund said. In addition to changing the entire way that the food pantry system works, there has also been an increase in people coming to get assistance. Again, the teams at CTFB didn?t let that stop them from helping the people. ?Folks that are able to come and get access to that product or that assistance are certainly taking advantage of it at this time when they?re missing paychecks or completely out of work, and food banks are really helping people stretch their money longer,? Hedlund said. ?We are seeing a good mix of folks who had already used our services regularly, sometimes once a month, given an emergency or just when they need it or a crisis within the household. But now we are seeing people coming to us for the very first time, we?re seeing folks who at some

Distributing healthy foods is one of Central Texas Food Bank's main goals. The fresher the product, the more nutrients it contains. Since junk food is usually cheaper, many families tend to stick with foods with lots of sugar and sodium. CTFB wants to make sure that kids can have enough to eat while also staying healthy.

point were working at the school that we?re hosting the distribution at.?

Another adaptation that CTFB has had to make because of COVID is shifting the types of food they give out. They have managed to do this while still giving out nutritious, healthy food. ?We?ve had to shift what we?re distributing based on what we?re getting in the building. Right now we?re giving folks a 30lb box that includes shelf stable items like dried beans and rice and canned goods, peanut butter, canned protein. Right now, because of one of those federal government programs I mentioned, folks are also getting a 30lb box of milk and cheese and frozen protein. We are always aiming to give people the most nutritious product,? Hedlund said. A problem that many may not have thought of is lack of senior volunteers. Since seniors are usually retired, a lot of them volunteer at food banks, but have stayed in recently in order to

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avoid risk. ?Right now especially for seniors that are living on a fixed income. We're trying to figure out the best way to do home delivery and to provide guidance to our partner agencies on how to do home delivery. A lot of seniors are fearful to leave their homes right now because of the pandemic. Whether that is partnering with a Drive a Senior organization. Home delivery is certainly something that we are looking forward to learning more about and finding the

A food bank worker packs a box of fresh food and non-perishables. This way, the non-perishable food can last in best way to make it happen.? homes for longer, because it won't expire. The fresher food, Katie Nye, statewide field director and however, can be eaten without any preparation, which is a huge regional director for Baylor University's help to people who can't always be in their homes to feed their Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) Austin office, kids. also had some problems because of COVID. Her job is to use data to inform

of federally funded nutrition programs to support eligible

and collaborate with direct service

populations. We found a significant gap between what

agencies.

low-income populations need to get enough food, and how

?When we started, we studied how counties in Texas were taking advantage

much they were getting through existing resources,? Nye said. ?This data told us a story -that education about the program and sufficient access are needed to ensure that those who are in

" I?m so p r o u d t o b e

need are receiving the most basic food resources.?

p ar t o f a t eam t h at

?We educate policy-makers on the real-world impact of

h as w o r k ed t i r el essl y t o en su r e m i l l i o n s o f m eal s h ave b een

anti-poverty and anti-hunger legislation, as well as strengthen existing federal nutrition programs by informing legislation to ensure success,? Nye said. ?We are also able to study the effects of unique, public-private funded solutions to hunger and poverty so they can be replicated. I?m so proud to be part of a team that

ser ved t o ch i l d r en

has worked tirelessly to ensure millions of meals have been

an d f am i l i es i n n eed .?

served to children and families in need.?

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Food Industr y Dur ing Covid By Porter Gregg

Hundreds of millions of people are stuck at home to stay safe. But the show must go on. And indeed it does in the food industry, where cleanliness and health is taken very seriously.

P

eople used to be able to go to work in person. To have meetings over a non-virtual medium. But that is no more. 25

"Safety is m ost Im portant"

At their headquarters in Austin and their plant in Springfield, Missouri, Egg Central Station (ECS) Vital Farms has been forced to make many changes to their workday in order to keep their team members safe. In


come. Dale had many employees that had to create a home workspace to do work they would usually do in an office.

Chickens roaming the pasture in on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Gregg)

restaurants all throughout the United States, Darden Restaurants has matched the unpredictable times with changes in policies to support their 185,000 employees. To better support and ensure the safety of their workers, these companies needed to implement policies that would ensure social distancing and safe health precautions. ?You have a group of professionals who have to work from home which is a challenge in itself,? Says Chief Financial and Operations Officer for Vital Farms, Jason Dale. ?That was a fundamental shift in the beginning.? When Covid first struck, it left people unprepared for what was to

?We had to create meaningful separation there to keep people safe,? Dale Said. With nearly 200 employees, Vital Farms has to separate shifts to do extra cleaning and safety precautions. At ECS, Vital has implemented new procedures to ensure the safety and cleanliness of its facilities. ?They?re still wearing masks,? Dale says. ?We started fogging, and taking temperatures.? Even before it was required, Vital instated multiple health precautions to effectively ensure the safety of their employees and customers. ?This is all in the effort to make sure that it?s a safe environment? Dale adds.

communication, Vital utilized Microsoft teams. Dale said, ?We're using these technology platforms more to really make sure that there is accessibility.? This made it easier to collaborate across the company. However, Dale added, ?It?s fantastic, but it is not a full replacement for meeting people in person? ?In the midst of this as a fast-growing company, we are always adding new talent to the organization,? Dale says. The company was experiencing a growth in sales before the pandemic hit, so they needed to keep the momentum going. According to Dale, ?We had to get really good at onboarding people we had never actually met in person.? Despite going through many changes, Dale says, ?If you look at it from the standpoint of how we have changed in

In order to streamline

Jason Dale from Vital Farm s (photo courtesy of Jason Dale). 26


terms of the companies values and what we stand for, there hasn?t actually been

"I?m not totally sure if it ever really goes back" many changes.? Vital Farms is a company that believes in the ethical treatment of animals. Despite the uncertainty, Vital kept its morals at heart. According to senior vice president, chief communications and Public affairs officer for Darden restaurants, Susan Connelly, Darden?s biggest concern was keeping as many people as possible on payroll and making sure the government was paying unemployment to those that couldn?t be on payroll.

they wanted some longevity in their support for their employees. ?A permanent paid sick leave program was just the right thing to do,? says Connelly. ?But we also think it will have benefits long after Covid hopefully.? In such a transient industry, keeping employees is important. Implementing these long term changes Egg Central Station in Springfield, Missouri on will, according to Thursday, July 26, 2018. (Photo courtesy of Susan, create a Jennifer Gregg) distinction from decisions about closing all of other brands such as Chili?s. our dining rooms.? This was a These changes were decision supported by implemented in April but Centers for Disease Control according to Connelly, ?In and Prevention (CDC) March, we had to make

?One of the first things we did in the early days, even before we had to close our dining rooms was that we launched a program for paid sick leave,? says Connelly. Darden has over 185,000 employees, so a company-wide safety plan was crucial. Connelly said that 27

Olive Garden restaurant in the United States.


guidelines but also influenced by the safety of their employees. During these times, over 150,000 people were on furlough. They did, however, receive emergency pay, payroll and unemployment. ?We implemented employee paid sick leaves.? Connelly explains, ?so that makes it easier to follow for folks to make those choices and once they?re healthy.? In order to prioritize health, over pay. They gave sick leaves that encouraged coming back to work when you were able to. ?Back in that restaurant, they?re required to wear personal protective equipment,? Connelly adds. ?Cleanliness and sanitation are such a large part of our business,? says Connelly about how Darden has adapted their cleaning to COVID-19. ?So our cleaning and safety precautions aren?t significantly more stringent than they were before,? Connelly adds about the preexisting safety requirements of a Darden Restaurant. ?Ultimately, the arbiter of what a guest is willing to

do is the guest.? Says Connelly. ?What is most important at the end of the day is what the customer is willing to do and feels safe doing. Darden does all it can to support their coming back, but Darden has ?to go? order for those that aren?t comfortable with eating in person,? Connelly said. Darden had to make sure that they took all factors into account. ?We?ve got a Susan Connelly from Darden. balance of what the government is requiring of us, and then what the guest isn?t willing to do yet.? Says Connelly. The guest is most important to Connelly and Darden, so making sure that beyond the guidelines of the CDC, what the customer is also not wanting to do.

28


U

nemployment Rates Dur ing COVID in the US

Unemployment rose higher in

3 months of COVID- 19 than in the

2 year s

14.7%

unemployment rate in April down to

11.2% as of June

of the Great Recession Highest Post-war unemployment rate was

10.8% set in 1982

6.2 Million unemployed before COVID-19

20.3 Million unemployed as of MAY2020

29


Unemployment By Race

Febr uar y 2020

May 2020

White

Black

Asian

Hispanic 0%

5%

10%

15%

Unemployment By Age 30%

0%

16+

D

16- 19

20- 24

emogr aphics of unemployment

25- 29

pewresearch.or g brookings.edu thebalance.com 30


LETTERS FROM THE

EDITORS My name is Connor McDonald, and I am a Freshman at LASA High School. I was born and raised right here in Austin, Texas. I have always enjoyed cooking, and have been making family recipes for as long as I can remember. This pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of our lives, food being no exception. Food is one of the things that brings people together, and we wanted to take a look at how this pandemic has affected the local food industry. My dad has lived in Austin for a long time, and he used to always take me to many different local restaurants. Because I know many local restaurant owners personally, I decided to write my article about how the pandemic has affected local restaurants.

Connor

McDonald

My name is Norah Hussaini, and I?m a freshman at LASA. In my spare time, I enjoy arguing with racists and talking to Samantha. Food has always been a big part of my life because I am a mix of many cultures with different types of food. This also inspired my interest in food insecurity, which is what my article is about. Covid-19 has shown us the one of the things we were

31

Norah Hussaini least aware about was the amount of people who don?t have enough to live and stay healthy, which is why I wanted to bring awareness to that.


My name is Porter Gregg and I am a freshman student at LASA for the class of 2024. I personally gravitated towards this topic due to topicality and prevalence in our world. COVID is like nothing that has ever been experienced so to not cover a topic related to it would be a waste. I think what makes a food article so special was the idea of health and safety in the food industry. Not only do people rely on these industries for their health and well-being, but they must be able to have safe access. I wanted to do a bigger picture article that covered larger corporations because it captured the large scale sacrifices and decisions that people had to make for their company.

Porter

Gregg

My name is Samantha Morse, and I?m a freshman at LASA High School. I moved to Austin, Texas over 5 years ago now. My group and I chose to write about how businesses, have been affected by the pandemic. I noticed that when Covid-19 began nearly everything was shut down or remote, except for businesses employing essential workers. Even schools weren?t operating in person. I decided to write my article about

Samantha Morse essential workers and how they have been affected by the pandemic, because I was interested in writing about what their first hand experience was working during a global pandemic.

Hi. My name?s Ariana and I?m a freshman at LASA High School. I?ve lived in Austin for around 5 years but I feel like I have lived here for my whole life. I?m not a great cook but I enjoy baking and like trying new recipes. Our group agrees that food is a big part of Austin, and that this pandemic has affected each and every one of us, including the various food businesses in Austin and around the world. We decided to write our magazine on the topic of COVID?s effect on food businesses in Austin so that we can learn a bit about the struggles that small business owners have gone through during the pandemic. My family lives near a food truck park and we loved going there before quarantine. Since we also have some friends who own food trucks, it seemed like a natural choice to write my article on food trucks.

Ariana

Athreya



D esi gn cr eated by Gr egor Cr esn ar f r om T h e N ou n Pr oject



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