Coronavirus New Jersey: Cherry Hill Restaurant Going Above And Beyond To Ensure No One Goes To Bed Hungry
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) -- As the coronavirus continues to hold its grip on the region, one restaurant owner in Cherry Hill is going above and beyond. His mission? To help feed people.
"God gave a lot to me and why not bring it back to the community?" Amici Ristorante owner Alex Daku said.
Helping those who need it most while in the most trying of times, Daku says anyone who's hungry can come to his restaurant for a takeout order -- no questions asked.
"Maybe I don't have money to offer, but food, I can. And my whole team has been working hard to support anybody in need nowadays," Daku said.
In a Facebook post from Wednesday, Daku wrote, "Amici is here to help. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to send me a private message. I will be more than happy to share whatever I can. It's time to share and help with everyone in need!"
That message was posted one day before the Labor Department reported an additional 215,000 New Jerseyans filed for unemployment in just one week.
Since non-essential businesses were forced to close in mid-March, over a half-million first-time unemployment claims have been filed in New Jersey alone.
"Don't go hungry to sleep," Daku said. "Come in and get whatever I can offer. A plate of pasta, soup, or anything I can offer to make sure we get through this very bad situation we are in as a community."
Is it surprising how close some people are not being able to feed themselves?
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"Yes, we've had a lot of folks pulling over, sending private messages and coming over to pick up food," Daku said. "And you see, you have people with $100,000 cars pulling over picking up food."
Daku says he hopes to continue this outreach even after the pandemic ends.
"Bringing food to people in need. Yes, I will bring it after we pass this situation. We'll follow up and continue to feed anybody out there without food on the table," Daku said."
Amici Ristorante is located at 306 Kresson Rd in Cherry Hill. Their menu and ordering options are available on their website, https://amicinj.com/.
