A Man of The People

Washington, D.C.-based chef Geoff Tracy is turning lemons into lemonade. On March 16, the health crisis forced him to close his restaurants — which, unfortunately, also meant layoffs. “It was terrible. But we went to work, and we worked hard,” he shared.

Within a few days, Geoff had set up a GoFundMe for the employees who’d lost their jobs; reopened his eateries for takeout and delivery; and created what he calls “a neighborhood pantry” to sell gloves, produce, wine, toilet paper and more, with the profits going to the staff.

“The neighbors were so thankful,” he said. “Each week, we hired more people because business was improving.” Things have continued to look up.

“We began working with charity Feed the Fight and started providing meals for first responders and hospitals,” he explained, noting that he also received a loan that’s enabling him to pay his laid-off workers.“It feels like a miracle,” Geoff added. 'What comes after that, I don’t entirely know. But we’ll keep working hard.”