La Cocina Wants to Tell a Food Story — and Help Its Fledgling Food Businesses Survive the Pandemic | Eater SF

"An immigrant-, women-, and BIPOC-focused kitchen incubator, La Cocina has organized the Voices from the Kitchen storytelling event since 2016 and serves as a platform for culturally diverse food voices that might not otherwise be heard. I learned that the organization typically relies equally on traditional nonprofit fundraising and earned income from big catering jobs and kitchen rentals, but the pandemic wiped out many of those revenue streams—La Cocina even chose not to charge rent for its kitchen facilities—and the result is significant financial pressure. In response, La Cocina established an Emergency Relief Fund that has raised over $750,000 and distributes monthly, no-strings aid to member businesses; donations and meal-kit profits from events like Voices go into the general fund, though donors can give directly to the relief fund. Despite the strain, La Cocina prioritizes people’s well-being, helps members negotiate rent forgiveness, and continues to support entrepreneurs such as Damansara while using events like Voices to amplify underrepresented stories." - Luke Tsai