Los Angeles, CA – May 21, 2020 – Wedbush Securities is pleased to announce it has raised and donated $350,000 to Off Their Plate (“OTP”) to support healthcare and restaurants workers in our local communities impacted by COVID-19.
Funds were raised through Wedbush’s corporate giving program, WedbushCares from generous donations by the firm’s colleagues and a matching program from the firm. In addition, Wedbush dedicated all of its net proceeds from brokerage commissions on Tuesday May 5th as part of #GivingTuesdayNow. The combination totaled a $350,000 donation to Off Their Plate.
“We were so inspired by Off Their Plate founder, Natalie Guo and how with just one idea, she was able to mobilize friends, families, businesses and professionals to come together so quickly to make a meaningful impact in our communities,” stated Gary Wedbush, Co-President of Wedbush Securities. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to make this donation and we want to bring more attention to Off Their Plate by challenging other firms to join us in this effort.”
Natalie Guo, Founder of Off Their Plate adds, “Wedbush’s generous donation has had an immense impact on our organization. For example, their contribution has enabled our LA region to grow substantially in size and operations, from delivering ~900 meals to now 2300+ per week, to doubling the number of LA restaurant partners and expanding our footprint to new cities and neighborhoods. We are deeply grateful to Wedbush for supporting our mission to provide income continuity to local restaurants while serving nutritious meals to healthcare staff and those in greatest need.”
Off Their Plate is an innovative nonprofit which enables small restaurant businesses to provide nutritious meals to the frontline healthcare workers we all depend on and restores economic relief to restaurant shift workers who have suffered significant economic loss from the pandemic. Since its inception, just eight weeks ago, OTP has raised nearly $4 Million dollars which will serve 400,000 meals to the frontlines and provide $2 million in economic relief to restaurant workers during this pandemic.
For more information, and to donate, please visit WedbushCares and Off Their Plate.
About Off Their Plate
Off Their Plate (OTP) is a grassroots nonprofit started on March 15 in Boston by Natalie Guo. 100% volunteer run and operational in nine of the most COVID-impacted US cities, OTP raises funds to deliver nutritious meals to frontline healthcare workers, while restoring work and providing economic relief to local restaurants and their most vulnerable staff. To operate ethically and safely during the pandemic, OTP has developed guidelines and processes for all operational areas, including needs assessment, meal preparation and delivery, and supply/demand forecasting. OTP prioritizes serving under-resourced facilities and underserved populations and builds deep, ongoing relationships with their restaurant partners to ensure meaningful income continuity and stability. As the industry embarks on a reopening phase, OTP is building on its mission to serve communities in need by leveraging its network, expertise and learnings to continue supporting restaurant partners as they navigate the transition.
About Wedbush Securities
Since our founding in 1955, Wedbush has been a leader in the financial services industry, providing our clients, both private and institutional, with a wide range of securities brokerage, wealth management, and investment banking services; Headquartered in Los Angeles, California with 100 registered offices and nearly 900 colleagues, the firm focuses on client service and financial safety, innovation, and the utilization of advanced technology.