Basketball Royalty Steph and Ayesha Curry Have Quietly Served Up 15 Million Meals to People in Need in the Pandemic

Stephen and Ayesha Curry may be elite members of the shining NBA basketball royalty, but they are also generous and committed supporters of people in need.

Last summer, when the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the economy and put many out of work, along with the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Oakland Unified School District, the couple launched the Eat. To learn. Play. Foundation to help alleviate food insecurity for families struggling to put food on the table in their community.

“We know that the world is changing before our eyes in terms of dealing with the spread of the coronavirus and we just learned that the Oakland Unified School District is closing its doors for the foreseeable future, so we want to intercede on behalf of the children who rely on daily services and try to help in any way we can, ”explained Steph Curry in a video tweet.

Oakland is closing schools ahead of COVID-19. We support this decision, but we are concerned about the more than 18,000 children who depend on the school for more than 2 meals a day. @eatlearnplay is donating to @ACCFB to ensure that all children have access to the food they need. Join us and donate https://t.co/nDqF7OoO0Z pic.twitter.com/nFp0w1eFqH

– Stephen Curry (@ StephenCurry30) March 14, 2020

Since then, the initiative has expanded exponentially. After joining forces with world-renowned chef José Andrés, founder of the global non-profit disaster relief organization. Central World Kitchen, Steph and Ayesha’s foundation has grown from serving 4,000 to 300,000 meals a week. In all, more than 15 million meals, and counting, have reached those in need.

But more than serving meals, Eat. To learn. Play. it’s also giving the local economy a much-needed financial injection in the arm, about $ 20 million, according to the foundation’s fourth-quarter update, which has “led to the rehiring of more than 900 Oakland restaurant workers.” .

“It’s like we’re feeding the restaurants to make sure they can feed the community,” said Anna Shova, director of restaurant operations for World Central Kitchen. Sf-is. “Restaurant culture has changed. Popular Michelin-starred restaurants have now asked ‘What else can I do for the community?’ Now, it’s less about being rewarded and more about being closer to the community. People are opening their eyes. “

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“Everything happens for a reason,” Ayesha Curry said. The SF Chronicle. “For us starting in July and then just a few months later, having this crisis in our community and being able to keep up with the demand has really been a blessing.”

“It’s about impact,” added Steph Curry. “The things my wife and I try to do, separately and together, are raise awareness, find impactful associations, be human, and understand the urgency of the moment.”

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And that is really beautiful.

Main photo: @Stephen Curry/Twitter

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