Chef Ariq Needs Our Help

My name is Laura Lacy and I'm the owner of Attic Brewing Co. in Germantown, Philadelphia.

I met Chef Ariq Barrett in March of 2020. Covid-19 forced Philly schools to close, and he was looking for a place to make lunches for kids that no longer had access to school lunches. Our taproom was also forced to close, so we immediately said yes and on March 15th, 2020 Kidz Meals on Wheels was started.

Those first 250 lunches were paid for by Chef Ariq and over the next 6 months, with the help of volunteers and donations, Kidz Meals on Wheels would make and deliver over 12,000 lunches to kids all over Philadelphia.

This past July Ariq became sick. Complications from Diabetes resulted in him losing his foot and while hospitalized he suffered a stroke and became blind in his right eye. He is the father of two small boys and has been struggling to keep his life together.

Ariq has qualified for disability payments, but needs financial help transitioning to a new place to live and covering costs until his benefits begin.

When the City of Philadelphia needed help, Chef Ariq was first in line to donate his time, money and skills to feed his neighbors.

I know that it took a lot for him to reach out for help, and now I'm reaching out to you.

Thank you!

Laura

In his own words

I’m a chef who used my talent to bring hope for the future. Homeless feedings, community holiday events for those less fortunate, mediations between children and peers as well as parent and children. I’ve worked with many organizations to try and bridge gaps in our community.

In 2015 I started an organization called Black Boys Can Cook this organization was started to give an alternative for boys 5-15 who were high risk a way to express themselves through culinary arts. This program started in my home and expanded to serve over 60 young men city wide giving them an advocate and mentor and teaching them how to combat chronic illnesses and stay fit and healthy!

Black Boys Can Cook expanded to Black Kidz Can Cook and went to service over 500 children in our city. This Program is still growing strong and offered an amazing program and summer camp during the pandemic when other camps weren’t available to children and youth.

In 2018 I collaborated with an amazing youth shelter and provided home economics classes to children who were at risk homeless and run always. This program Forget Me Knot youth shelter provides 24 hr open door to children who are runaways and homeless. The collaboration provided hands on training and work readiness to children who needed the skills. This collaboration is still available!

As the pandemic evolved I created a mission with help of family friends and other businesses called KIDZ MEALS ON WHEELS! It was intended to provide meals for children while they were home out of school due to Covid and parents had to work or couldn’t work to provide meals children were dependent on during school hours. This mission spiraled out of control as the pandemic did and we formulated a plan to make sure our children in the community not only had enjoyable meals but healthy! We served over 10000 meals to our city and assisted over 1000 families in time of need. We ran this program until families received other alternative means and held the packing and distribution from Attic Brewing Company as pandemic forced their closing as well.

In July 2021 I fell very ill. Already being a diabetic since 11 I was forced to take a load off and focus on necrotizing fasciitis which is a flesh eating disease that made me septic and unhealthy. Osteomyelitis in my foot resulted in the lost of a toe which in a month turned into 2 toes and within two months resulted in the removal of my foot. 2 strokes and 3 blood transfusions later I’m here and I’m asking for help.

My talent of cooking has always been able to help me help others but unable to cook I am also unable to do what I know to do in hard times! I’m in need of help!

Financially I am not stable enough to manage medically I am unable to manage and I need my community to help assist me so I can get back to the work! I need housing I need advocacy I need resources so that I can heal without worry! I lost all furniture I lost my housing and I lost stability! I’m asking you to help me not lose hope! I need the help of my community