A thought:
One of the best ways to enact positive change (with your money) is to “feed the front lines” of health-care workers.
Why feed the front line?
My friend Natalie Jing Ma is one of the most intelligent people I know, and she is currently working with the health community to combat COVID. She worked with Cindy to start this campaign on “Feeding the Front Lines” with Cindy’s father’s restaurant (Long Hai Restaurant). To me, this is insanely effective. Why? My thoughts:
Health care workers are the archimedes lever of society right now
Who are the most important people right now in society? Health care workers. Especially those on the front lines– literally putting their lives at risk. What can we do to help? Simplest thing —
Increase the morale, strength, and vigor of those working and battling in the front-lines of COVID.
It comes down to food.
There is nothing more primal than food. Humans have evolved in order to better procure food.
I know for myself, I think much of my physical vigor and strength comes from food. The right food. Delicious food made with love and care.
I’ve been helping Cindy’s dad’s restaurant (Long Hai Restaurant) since 2009. It is very important to me. Why? I can personally say his food is the most phenomenal and delicious Vietnamese food I’ve ever had, and it is almost spiritual. Food communicates love. It is life.
I can say after eating Cindy’s dad’s food, I feel more joyful, happy, and strong.
Why food?
If you’re working on the front-line as a medical worker, the food you eat at the hospital is typically pretty shitty. Fast-food styled food. No love. No care. Just this quick-to-eat industrial stuff.
It is different when you get home-style cooking served to you. You get more hope, strength, and motivation.
I know that we as private citizens feel a bit helpless against COVID-19. But certainly, feeding the front line-workers is one of the best ways to effectively be altruistic, and to enact change and impact.
Making a different, impact, and change.
Other ways to enact change:
Make empowering art.
Cindy wrote a lovely essay on why she was making art during the time of COVID. What she says:
“I have the capacity to write, teach, and make art that resounds, connects, and moves. That in itself is such a beautiful gift. I believe that we have the responsibility to share our talents, however big or small, to nurture the collective future of humanity.” – Cindy
Learn more about our Long Hai Feeds you campaign below:
Long Hai Feeds You
Dear friends,
We (Cindy, my dad, my siblings, and Eric) wanted to best leverage “effective altruism” during this tough time through this grassroots initiative to feed the front line medical workers and supporting small family owned restaurants/mom & pop shops.
If you have a little to spare, consider directing your money to “Long Hai Feeds You” grassroots campaign. Your donation will:
Provide food for health care workers. My dad at Long Hai Restaurant (25 year family owned Vietnamese local restaurant) will cook the meals with love and care for the health care workers at Fountain Valley Hospital and other health care workers in Orange County California.
We hope that in this difficult time, the meals will boost the strength and morale of those on the medical front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic to care for patients and keep the community safe.
Donate Now
Donate however much you can spare on Paypal here. For every $10 you donate, you feed one health care worker at the front line. Also note Paypal accepts credit cards and debit cards. We suggest the following donations:
- A $10 donation will feed one front line medical worker for one meal.
- A $50 donation will feed five front line medical workers for a meal.
- A $100 donation will feed 10 workers.
- A (very generous) $1000 donation will provide 100 meals.
If you want to Venmo your donation, please send it to @cindyanguyen on Venmo.
If you have any questions regarding donation, please email dinelonghai@gmail.com
Also note please be patient with your donation, considering there is just a very small family-led team handling the logistics and donation! Thank you very much for understanding.
Your donation effectiveness
Long Hai Restaurant (my dad, the only person working at the restaurant right now) is making these meals at cost in order to help those in need at this time. The donation will cover the cost of food, electricity, rent, supplies, and his labor. Cindy, Eric, and my siblings are volunteering to help with logistics. We will continue for as long as possible and needed.
Donate what you can here.