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Celebrity Chef Supreme Dow served over 1,000 vegan community meals in less than one hour on the eastside of Los Angeles, setting a new Guinness World Record.
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Dow served 1,008 meals to community members in just 37 minutes on June 19 – also known as Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day – at Estrada Courts in Boyle Heights. The historically multicultural housing project is one of the city’s oldest, and notably served as the birthplace of the Chicano Mural Art Movement in the 1970s.
The Boyle Heights neighborhood has been identified as a “food desert,” meaning that access to fresh, nutritious ingredients is limited. However, many food justice advocates say that the label ignores how the intersection of race and class influences access to fresh produce.
Dow partnered with Kevin de León, the Los Angeles City Council member for District 14, for the record attempt, which was also supported by The Plant-Based Treaty, The Save Movement, The SheRise Enterprise, and UnchainedTV.
Read more: Major 20-Year Review Finds Plant-Based Diets Reduce Disease Risk
Everyone deserves to be ‘whole, healthy, and happy’
Dozens of volunteers attended the Guinness World Record attempt to box up meals and deliver them door-to-door, while the meals themselves were put together by the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club and Generation Vegan (Gen V). Each box included a savory Beyond Meat meatloaf, Spanish Rice, kale salad, and a soft chocolate chip cookie.
“This event represents more than just a culinary challenge,” said Dow in a statement. “It embodies our commitment to fostering unity and health within our community through sustainable food practices. By serving these meals, we are not only feeding bodies but also nourishing souls and strengthening the communal bonds that define our city.”
Dow spearheads nonprofit The Harvest Academy which aims to serve 100,000 nutritious meals to “unhoused neighbors” in Los Angeles over the next decade. He hosts an annual Skid Row BBQ, serving food to the approximately 2,000 unhoused people who live there.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to be whole, healthy, and happy,” added Dow.
Read more: Groundbreaking Documentary ‘They’re Trying To Kill Us’ Exposes The Link Between Diet And Racism
