Christmas Dinner For Hundreds? No Problem For Chicago Chef
(CBS) – On a day that's all about love and caring, here is a story brimming with both.
CBS 2's Susanna Song introduces us to a Chicago chef who opens his kitchen and his heart to those who need it most.
Quentin Love and his staff spent the entire night preparing more than 1,000 chicken meals for the needy and homeless.
All of the food was purchased by $36,000 Love won on the Food Network's "Guy's Grocery Games."
"It was exciting, surreal," Love, who runs Turkeychop Gourmet Grill, says of the experience.
The former Marine chose to give half his winnings to the USO. The other half he gave to a cause near to his heart: feeding the needy.
"I realized I needed to make a bigger difference. It wasn't just about opening a restaurant in West Humboldt Park. It was about: How do you make a difference here?" Love says.
Two years ago, he started a weekly free meal program at his restaurant. Now, he's taken it further -- spreading the love and filling bellies on Christmas.
Others are following his lead, volunteering to feed the crowds expected on Dec. 25.
"I wanted to help the needy," says volunteer Gabriel Coe. "It's not fair we get food and they don't."
Five hundred people were expected to be at the restaurant at noon. An additional 1,000 meals pre-ordered and sent all over the city.
