Many know Joe Thottungal as the talented, award-winning chef behind Ottawa’s Coconut Lagoon and Thali restaurants. But Joe should also be known for inspiring and leading others to make a difference in their community.
During COVID-19, Joe has dedicated Thali’s kitchen to making food for homeless families. Since the pandemic began, he has donated his time and restaurant to make more than 1,800 meals weekly for people without a home, who are now facing even more difficult struggles because of physical distancing and closed facilities and buildings.
When COVID-19 hit, Joe rallied chefs Kent Van Dyk, Jishnu Sreenivasan, Scot Cunningham and volunteers from well-known local restaurants including Adam Vettorel (North & Navy), Patrick Garland (Absinthe), and Tim Stock (Thyme & Again) to pitch in on this pop-up project. With their restaurants closed early in the coronavirus outbreak, these chefs accepted Joe’s invitation wholeheartedly, seeing the volunteer work as a great use of their time. Joe coordinates all the volunteer chefs, manages the space and, of course, he cooks, to make sure no one goes hungry while times are tough. Together, the team has prepared more than 20,000 meals for people in need. Free meals, no questions asked.
When COVID-19 hit, Joe rallied chefs Kent Van Dyk, Jishnu Sreenivasan, Scot Cunningham and volunteers from well-known local restaurants including Adam Vettorel (North & Navy), Patrick Garland (Absinthe), and Tim Stock (Thyme & Again) to pitch in on this pop-up project. With their restaurants closed early in the coronavirus outbreak, these chefs accepted Joe’s invitation wholeheartedly, seeing the volunteer work as a great use of their time. Joe coordinates all the volunteer chefs, manages the space and, of course, he cooks, to make sure no one goes hungry while times are tough. Together, the team has prepared more than 20,000 meals for people in need. Free meals, no questions asked.
Kickstarting the project, ingredients for these meals were supplied by the Food for Thought Net-Café, a community resource and meeting space that supports local residents in Ottawa’s Carlington neighbourhood. The café suspended its operations due to the pandemic, but decided to redirect its budget to help feed homeless families through the Thali restaurant project. Readers can support this initiative with a donation through the Ottawa Community Foundation.
Joe has continued to do this work even after a fire damaged Coconut Lagoon a few weeks ago. Everyone is experiencing their own painful challenges right now, but Joe is intent on serving others, no matter what. He has always prioritized community service alongside his business, whether it’s supporting charities or local fundraisers that address poverty and hunger in our community. For many years before this, and now during the current crisis, Joe has been an inspiring volunteer for Ottawa and beyond.
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