Mike Frank (Journalism, ’18) always dreamed of moving to New York. A few months after graduation, he packed up his things and made that dream a reality. Frank now works at the New York University (NYU) Tandon Future Labs, an incubation program focused on helping start-ups, entrepreneurs and new ventures succeed.

When it became clear that New York City was going to be the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., Frank was eager to find a way to help. One of his coworkers had the idea of connecting chefs to medical professionals throughout the city to provide front-line workers with fresh, hot meals.

Sensing they could lend a much-needed hand, the two of them, along with a friend who is a Michelin-starred chef, co-founded Grub For Guardians to provide free, locally-prepared meals to healthcare professionals in New York. Frank built the website and launched a GoFundMe campaign, and now handles publicity, marketing and social media for the venture. Additionally, he works on outreach to determine which healthcare facilities could use a pick-me-up with a free meal.  

"Working on this project has made me even more thankful to healthcare workers because I interact with them regularly now. It’s been really eye-opening," said Frank. "It’s a really difficult time for everyone, especially for so many people who have been laid off or are struggling in the restaurant or food service industry. I’m just happy that we could actually make this happen. It was just an idea that has snowballed into something larger."

We're getting tons of emails from medical professionals that are working incredibly long days on the front lines expressing their gratitude for a free, hot meal. It's a small thing that makes a much larger impact than you might think.

Mike frank

JOURNALISM , '18

In late March, their initial goal was to give away 50 to one hundred meals to healthcare workers. As their team grew, word began to spread of their efforts an other organizations and projects began sprouting up to help in similar ways, with Grub for Guardians becoming part of a larger movement. The big difference is their chefs work on a volunteer basis, so meals can be made at a much lower cost, around only $3 or $4 dollars each. The team now hopes to raise $10,000 and give away 1,000 meals. From there, they will continue their efforts in the coming months.

"We’ve received more and more requests for donations over the past few weeks and we’re trying to fill as many as we can, but we’re just a few people,” Frank said.  "We’re getting tons of emails from nurses and doctors and pharmacists and medical professionals that are working incredibly long days on the front lines expressing their appreciation and gratitude for a free, hot meal. It’s a small thing that makes a much larger impact than you might think."

Throughout this process, Frank has leaned on his Cal Poly education. 

"The idea of just making things happen and getting involved to help out your local community is a big aspect of my Cal Poly education and my experience in SLO," he said. 

Despite the current situation, Frank has no regrets about making the move across country to live in New York.

"I would be lying if I said it wasn’t scary to be at one of the centers of the pandemic, at least in our country. It’s surreal to walk around New York now. It’s like a ghost town over the last few weeks. But New Yorkers have really rallied around each other, and it’s made me even more proud to live here."