Billie Eilish's Mother Spearheads Initiative To Supply Plant-Based Food to LA Hospitals, Shelters During Coronavirus Pandemic
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- The mother of singer Billie Eilish has launched an initiative to help supply Los Angeles-area hospitals, shelters and first responders with plant-based food as they battle the coronavirus.
Maggie Baird told CBS2 Tuesday that through Support and Feed, people can place food orders that are delivered to specific hospitals, homeless shelters, senior centers and public agencies.
The orders are placed with one of several plant-based restaurants in the area.
"Support and Feed was an idea that stemmed from wanting to help people on the front lines: people at hospitals, people in shelters, people in need," Baird said. "And also help people at restaurants who are suffering so much, particularly the plant-based restaurants, which are small restaurants, often family-owned."
Orders are placed on the Supply and Feed website. People can either order food that will be delivered to a specific organization, or for themselves, and add a donation on top of it.
Baird emphasized that the initiative is also designed to help struggling restaurants which could be on the precipice of closing. On Tuesday, the California Restaurant Association warned Gov. Gavin Newsom that 30 percent of the state's 900,000 restaurants could permanently shutter during the pandemic.
"Sadly, some of the (restaurants) we started with have already closed," she said. "It's a really terrible time for restaurants and their staffs. This is also giving them a purpose, something to do, it's giving their staff something to do."
Baird says the initiative has received donations from across the planet.
"We've already, in three days, raised enough for 300 meals, which is incredible. We've gotten donations from all over the world," Baird said. "Actually people in other parts of the world want to help us in California, because they're worried about us."
Baird said her superstar daughter – who is quarantined at home with her parents – is fully on-board with the project.
"She was really excited to help with this one, she immediately put it on her (Instagram) Story and has continued to post," Baird said. "She's pretty proud of it. She's pretty excited."