Puerto Rican chef and entrepreneur, Manolo López, and the Mark E. Curry Family Foundation announced a partnership today that aims to help chefs and small restaurant owners in Puerto Rico.

This new, strategic partnership comes nearly 3 months after Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico completely devastated. Through this collaboration, López and the Foundation plan to feed warm meals to those who are still in need, while also helping small restaurants keep their doors open. To accomplish this, the initiative, which is called the Cosa Nuestra Relief Fund, will use 100% of funds raised to pay local restaurants and local chefs to produce meals that will then be delivered to those in need.

López has taken Puerto Rican food to Japan with Mofon–GO and created a platform that highlights the best talent of Puerto Rico/Latin America in the US called Cosa Nuestra. He recently relocated to the Island to help with the food distribution after Hurricane Maria.

‘When I first arrived in Puerto Rico following the Hurricane, I realized that providing food here one day and somewhere else the next just wasn’t enough,’ López said. ‘I decided that I needed to help strengthen the local economy again, and by leveraging the Mark E. Curry Family Foundation’s expertise and boots on the ground, I knew this partnership would enable my concept to succeed.’Both López and the Mark E. Curry Family Foundation believe that rebuilding Puerto Rico also means rebuilding the economy, starting with small, local businesses and entrepreneurs.

‘Manolo’s concept aligned perfectly with our vision to help provide relief to vulnerable communities in Puerto Rico,’ said Tiffany Coniglio, spokesperson for the Mark E. Curry Family Foundation. ‘To be able to help those that are not able to access warm meals, and local chefs and restaurant owners at the same time, is really incredible and a step in the right direction for Puerto Rico’s recovery.’

If you would like to donate to Cosa Nuestra Relief Fund, please visit mecff.org.

The Foundation’s mission is to provide relief to the most vulnerable populations in our communities.