Why We Show Up: Support Giving Kitchen at Team Hidi

Before we get to Lauren’s story, let’s talk about why this work matters—and how it began. Giving Kitchen’s mission is to provide financial assistance and community resources to food service workers facing an unexpected crisis. Our roots trace back to Muss & Turner’s and the Atlanta restaurant community, where caring for one another—and believing that Asking For Help is OK—became a shared value. That spirit of solidarity continues to guide us today, reminding us that stability is built together: workers, families, employers, and community support, side by side.

Team Hidi 2026 is right around the corner, and it’s one of the ways our community shows up for food service workers. When you attend events like Team Hidi, you’re helping keep rent paid, lights on, and pathways to resources open for cooks, servers, bartenders, dishwashers, and managers across our industry. You’re supporting stories like Lauren’s as a community neighbor, so that when a crisis strikes and people ask for help, they can find it.

Here’s how that care showed up for Lauren.

After 15+ years in restaurants, Lauren built her career on connection, problem‑solving, and the fast pace of service. She previously worked at Muss & Turner’s—one of the restaurants whose owners helped found Giving Kitchen—where the message that Asking For Help is OK was part of the culture. That lesson mattered when a car accident left her with a fractured sternum and an arm injury. Unable to work for several weeks, she faced rent coming due while focusing on recovery and caring for her daughter.

Lauren applied to Giving Kitchen and was awarded financial assistance that covered one month of rent. That support helped stabilize housing for her and her daughter during a tough stretch, alongside the practical help she received from family, friends, and an understanding employer.

Today, Lauren is nearly fully recovered, back to full‑time work in Marietta, GA, and recently earned a promotion. She shares information about Giving Kitchen with her team, reinforcing that even the strongest among us need support sometimes—and that asking is a sign of care for yourself and your family.

Lauren credits her recovery to a combination of personal resilience, help from loved ones, an understanding workplace, and community resources like Giving Kitchen. GK was one part of her path back to stability, and Giving Kitchen is grateful for her bravery in asking for help.

For restaurant and food service workers, stability often comes from many hands—coworkers, family, and community resources. When a crisis hits, Asking For Help can be the first step toward steady ground.

Help Giving Kitchen continue providing financial assistance and resources for food service workers. Donate, volunteer, or share this story to strengthen the safety net for our industry members.