Help Homestretch Hero w Medical Bills & Recovery!

Sunday night Chef Colin Gardner, our "Homestretch Hero," got into a major car accident. We call him this because when he initially started working with us 1 year ago he could only commit to working Sundays, the last day of our work week. He would drive 1hr and 45 minutes just to fill a staffing void and help out our little Filipino restaurant. Why? Since the first day we met him at our Grand Opening in 2020 he said our food reminded him of his mom. He called our restaurant his "Church" because our food brought him back to her and his Filipino roots. He would come in like a ninja and slay in the kitchen just to help us close out our work week with a bang. Because of this, he was dubbed the Homestretch Hero.

Colin is an OG hippy skateboarder, acoustic guitar-wielding, tie-dyer, award-winning boiled peanut-making Mestizo (half Filipino, half American). He was born in the Philippines to a Filipino mother and an American father who served in the US military. In addition to his humble heart-warming hobbies, Colin went to The Art Institute of Atlanta for Culinary Arts and has worked in the Hospitality Industry for over 35 years.

Colin was hospitalized Sunday night with internal bleeding, four broken ribs, and suffered debilitating contusions on his chest and arms. He is living proof that seatbelts and airbags do save lives. Unfortunately, our homestretch hero racked up medical bills to the tune of $52,000+ for his 3-night stint in the hospital. Althogh the hospitality industry has always been fun, challenging, and rewarding to him, he, like so many other restaurant workers, is uninsured. While suffering through severe pain and extreme discomfort the hospital declared they could discount his medical expenses by 75% only if he could agree to pay the balance of 25% within 30 days from his release date, which was yesterday.

We are reaching out to all of our families and friends in the Filipino community. Those in the hospitality industry. Anyone who has ever listened to him play the guitar, or played out with him on a stage. Everyone who has come across his free spirit at the market, or on the golf course. Those who have competed with or against him in a game of darts. Anyone who has ever purchased his boiled peanuts or tie dye's, on the side of a Georgia country road or at The Four Way in Commerce. All mothers whose child received a hand-made tie-dyed flower from him for nothing more than a simple smile. Colin's heart is so big, his loyalty and hard work are immeasurable, and because of this, we feel a strong obligation to help him find peace and comfort just as he has brought us in his own unique way. So please donate whatever you can afford. Our goal is to raise $13,500 to cover the 25% of the gross medical bills plus an additional $3750 for 4-6 weeks of rent, missed work, and for him to get an economical car for transportation.