From a birds eye view, the loss of small catering business feels small enough to ignore. Its absence is not felt or seen in any major capacity. But on the ground level, where Filipinos mingle together and live, it’s as important to the community as the air they breathe. Community and being together is a nice thing in America, but to Filipinos, it is the air they breathe. Filipinos go through life together, cook together, laugh and grow and eat in close community with the people whom they find themselves surrounded by.
L.E.A.D is a family owned restaurant, and it’s more than a gathering place for people to eat, it serves as an important place in which people gather, grow, and love each other. And its absence would mean, to an extent, the loss of a huge part of the local community. Aspire to Dream loves building and sustaining healthy communities around the world, and this mission was perfect for that.
The goal of this mission was to walk alongside Grace Topinio, the founder and manager of LEAD restaurant and catering services. She, along with her family friends, run the kitchen and delivery services of the restaurant. With any extra income that she produces, she donates it to her local church ministry.
Grace’s mother is a pastor, and her father is a farmer. The main source of income in the family is from the restaurant, and thus serves as a huge factor in the well being of her family. In partnering with her through your donations, you aren’t only helping the well being of one person and their family, but the jobs and income of many more as well.
Creating and sustaining a healthy community is found in everything that we do, and no matter how small the business or restaurant, and the effect that it can have on their community is nothing short of significant. - Rodeo Hernandez, Co-Founder