Lombardis in Everett to feed homeless, hungry on Christmas
Published 12:31 pm Thursday, December 24, 2015
EVERETT — Lombardi’s Italian Restaurant on the Everett waterfront is opening on Christmas Day, but it’s not serving its usual fare.
The restaurant instead is offering a free buffet lunch for homeless and hungry people from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The restaurant’s suppliers, such as US Foods and the Peterson Co., are donating food and supplies, and about half the restaurant’s staff, including chef Andy Hilliard, are also volunteering their time to serve up to 200 meals of ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables and dessert.
“If we exceed that, we’re just going to start cooking up normal Lombardi’s penne Siciliana,” general manager Josh Pedersen said.
“It’ll be a puttanesca Christmas; whatever’s around the kitchen sink,” he said.
Karen Lawler, the marketing and communications director for the restaurant, said the company has promoted the event on social media, leading to a flood of donations.
“It’s just caught on fire,” she said.
The event is not just for the homeless, but for anyone who might need a hot meal on Christmas, she said.
Restaurant staff will also send cars to pick up a few families from Maud’s House in Marysville, a communal home for homeless mothers and their children.
Pedersen said he got the idea for the free meal while pumping gas on Pacific Avenue, when he met a man who hadn’t eaten in a day and a half. He ended up swinging back to the restaurant to pick up four pasta boxed meals for the man and his friend, and talked with him while he ate in Pedersen’s car.
“I’ve been in restaurants for 10 years, and every restaurant I’ve ever managed seems to be in areas where there are high rates of homelessness,” Pedersen said.
As a consequence, he’s developed relationships with the homeless community, sometimes sharing food or hiring people to clean restaurant windows before opening.
He ran the idea of a free Christmas meal by owners Diane and Carrie Symms, and the restaurant’s staff.
What was originally thought to be an event for 50 people took off.
“It seemed like everybody I talked to was willing to help, and I just grew it from there,” Pedersen said.
Customers got wind of the event and started donating socks, hats and gloves and other necessities for a care package each customer will get. Mahoney Family Dentistry in Edmonds donated 150 sets of toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss. Passport Unlimited, a marketing company for high-end restaurants, dropped off about 80 bags already filled with sundries, Pedersen said.
“It’s been an amazing outpouring of love and heart,” Lawler said. The restaurant is located at 1620 W. Marine View Dr.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
