My name is Evan Wayne Malbrough. I am from Atlanta, Georgia, but I live in DC currently and have spent a lot of time in the city for work and pleasure. One of my favorite parts of DC is the city's restaurant scene. True to its identity as a Capitol City, DC's food reflects the city's diverse culture and the United States as a whole.

Unfortunately, during the COVID-19 lockdown, economic shifts, and lower visitation to the city, many of the restaurants I love have closed. As such, I am starting the Hot Meal Grant Program, a program to raise funds for DC restaurants to help keep them open, and in exchange, they would convert leftover food, which would otherwise become food waste, into ready-made meals for food-insecure families.

The project will be multi-year, which will start with the establishment of a Community Fridge and mini grants given to restaurants over the summer of 2026. We hope to raise enough funds to be able to support multiple food distributions. Every penny will go to our goal of feeding families.

I am partnering with the Global Shapers of DC and the Bayard Rustin Society. If you want to save DC restaurants and feed food-insecure families, please consider helping us reach our goal.