Furloughed restaurant workers receive groceries

The cars lined up by noon in one of the public parking lots in historic Ellicott City to fill one of the most basic of needs.

REDUCED MANY RESTAURANTS TOSHADOWS OF THEMSELVES, BUT ONEHOWARD COUNTY OWNER IS TRYINGTO EASE THE BURDEN ON THOSESIDELINED FROM THEIR JOBS.WMAR 2 NEWSTHAT STORY.(HAGER S━UP) 29:41“Withdin━in restaurants closedduring this coronaviruspandemic, furloughed workerscame here to historic EllicottCity today looking for a bitof relief” (TRACK) THE CARSLINED UP BY NOON TO FILL ONEOF THE MOST BASIC OF NEEDS.(NAT SOT to cover) 12:23“Produce, some protein,yogurt, milk, brea━a lot ofthe essentials” (TRACK) LAPALAPA OWNER SIMON CORTES ISBEHIND THIS RELIEF EFFORT, AHE KNOWS FIRSTHAND HOWRESTAURANTS AND THEIR WORKERSARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW.

HEHAS FOUR LOCATIONS IN HOWARDCOUNTY.

(SOT━Simon Cortes/La Palapa 12:39“We employeeabout 150 to 160 staff, and wehad to let go about 8percent.

Business is downprobably 85 to 90 percent”(TRACK) THE FIRST PERSON ILINE TODAY, BETTY SPITTEL, WHOALSO KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT THEFOOD BUSINESS.

SHECOLUMBIA CHEF CATERING FOR 25YEARS.

(SOT━Betty Spittel/Columbia Chef Catering 6:45“Ithe hole right now as wspeak.

I really canbill.

Just the little oneswestruggling, and that runs out.When that runs out, what doyou do?

Wegovernment to help us out.Wewaiting game” (TRACK) WAITINGFOR A SIGNAL THATR━OPEN IN FULL, WHICH REMAINSELUSIVE FOR NOW.(SOT━Calvin Ball/ HowardCounty Executive 17:57“Aswelearning more about theCOVI━19 crisis and pandemic,the more that weunderstanding of how we get tothe other side” (TRACK) INTHE MEANTIME, A BOXESSENTIALS WILL HAVE TO DO,ADDRESSING AT LEAST ONE OF THEMOST BASIC NEEDS.

(SOT) 8:35“Everything helps.

Everythinghelps so maybe what I duse being a single person, Ican pass on to the guy thatlives under me that works uphere at The Judgeh━nothing.

Heof unemployment, you know.W’How arewe going to pay our rent thenext time━UP)30:29“La Palapa teamed upwith Saval Foods, a primardistributor for restaurantsthroughout the area based inElkridge, which has alreadygiven away thousands of mealsworth tens of thousands ofdollars during the last sixweeks.

Reporting in HowardCounty, Jeff Hager, WMAR 2News”LET'S CHECK I