Small Town Heroes

From top: Chef with two friends; three young U.S. citizens; Chef and his friends made a lot of Shrimp and Grits.

As our country’s 250th birthday nears, here’s a story of small-town heroes. They exemplify the American values of hard work, determination, kindness, and generosity.

“Chef”* spent 25 years running one of the South’s most iconic restaurants. The kitchen popularized such dishes as Shrimp and Grits, leading the James Beard Foundation to name the place “an American Classic.” Chef’s retired now, but if you talk to him about those years, he’ll say that his ace team of cooks were central to the restaurant’s success. These staffers weren’t just “extra hands,” but partners in developing recipes and producing high quality, delicious meals. Many of them even held down two jobs. “These people all wanted more work, not less,” Chef said. “You’d have to send them home if they were sick. They wanted to work.”

Like so many essential workers in this country, many of Chef’s kitchen staff were undocumented immigrants. Federal crackdowns began in 2016, then grew more aggressive last year, leaving these individuals extremely vulnerable to arrest and deportation. The policy has been a disaster for families, creating financial hardship as parents lose work and causing emotional trauma as children worry that their parents will disappear.

Chef decided he had to help. He set up a GoFundMe page to provide emergency relief for the extended families of his former staff. The fund, which has grown to $53,000, provides money to cover lost wages, rent, legal fees, and other unforeseen expenses. Meanwhile, Chef also reached out to professionals in his community who responded with free legal advice, social service support, and many other forms of assistance. “Nobody’s ever said no,” he told us.

One of Chef’s most important initiatives involves procuring passports for the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants, guaranteeing these young Americans’ constitutional rights. A child’s passport costs $135. Once again, when Chef appealed for help, his community responded enthusiastically. So far, they’ve secured 37 passports, many of them thanks to a local book club whose members each covered the cost of one passport.  Providing money for documentation may not seem like a big thing, but it’s actually hugely important, because having a U.S. passport offers hope and security for these children’s future.

Chef tells us that people in his town remain committed. “They’ll just come by,” he says, “and give me a check: ‘Here. It’s for a passport.’”

This is what makes America great.

*We’re calling him “Chef” to protect the identity of vulnerable people he’s trying to help.