Off Their Plate
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Off Their Plate (OTP) was a nonprofit founded in March 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts run entirely by volunteers. Their goal was to provide economic relief to restaurants as well as deliver meals to frontline healthcare workers during the COVID‑19 pandemic.[1]
History
[edit]Harvard Medical School student, Natalia Guo, founded OTP after her surgical rotation was suspended in March 2020.[2]
Working with Boston chefs Tracy Chang and Ken Oringer, OTP raised about $80,000 in its first ten days and delivered roughly 1,000 meals to local hospitals.[1]
Within a month, they were up and running in nine U.S. cities and had raised $2.9 million, providing an estimated 289,000 meals and 90,000 paid hours for restaurant staff.[2]
By June 2021 OTP had distributed more than 763,000 meals in 473 communities nationwide.[3]
The organization officially sunset operations in May 2023.[4]
Model
[edit]Off Their Plate operated a "double-impact" model, which gave 100 percent of donations to their restaurant partners. Each participating restaurant was required to allocate at least half of the funds toward employee wages, with the remainder covering the cost of preparing meals. The organization described a $100 donation equivalent to ten meals for frontline workers and three hours of paid labor for restaurant staff.[1][5]
Recognition
[edit]- In 2021, founder Natalie Guo was named a national honoree in the L'Oréal Women of Worth program for her work with Off Their Plate.[6]
- That same year she received the Eagle Rare Life Award, which carried a $50,000 grant to support OTP's operations.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Johnston, Katie M. (March 27, 2020). "Off Their Plate provides meals to health care workers on coronavirus front lines". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ a b Bhang, Ellen (April 29, 2020). "The Boston Medical Student Who Rallied to Raise Millions for Restaurants and Their Employees". Resy. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ Gardizy, Anissa (June 10, 2021). "Restaurant owner and chef Tracy Chang on creating two nonprofits during the pandemic". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ "About Us". Off Their Plate. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ Cianciarulo, Maddy (April 16, 2020). "How a Team of Harvard Students Is Helping Feed Philly's Front Line". Eater Philly. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ "Women of Worth 2021: Meet Natalie Guo". L'Oréal Paris. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ "Off Their Plate founder Natalie Guo chosen for $50,000 Eagle Rare Life Award". The Lane Report. February 9, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- 2020 establishments in Massachusetts
- 2023 disestablishments in Massachusetts
- Non-profit organizations based in Boston
- Defunct non-profit organizations based in the United States
- COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts
- Organizations established for the COVID-19 pandemic
- Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020