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was doing double duty, improving the spirits of healthcare workers and also saving local restaurants, which had fallen into dire straits due to the quarantine and stay at home orders. The program took on a life of its own, growing until Feed the Front Line was literally feeding every single hospital in New Orleans twice a day, every day, for six weeks. For donors as well, the money was helping. “Everybody was stuck at home and scared, and you felt powerless,” Devin says. “This was something that people could do. And the community started to rally behind it. We were this little group from the neighborhood. We aren’t wealthy or have a ton of money, but we were getting stuff done, and people were rooting for us.” At its peak, the program spent $30,000 per day, feeding 2,200 hospital workers twice a day (once for the day shift and once for the night). By the end of the program, it had delivered 90,000 meals, 10,000 cookies and coffees, and supported 49 local businesses. Devin wanted to help as many culinary

establishments as possible. “We asked restaurant owners the bare minimum they needed to survive,” he said, “because if we could hit that target with one, we could help somebody else, too.” Ultimately, Feed the Front Line raised and spent $1.2 million over six weeks. Doctors, dining and donors benefitted, and Devin found a way to add one more group to the list: musicians. When you run a successful Mardi Gras krewe, you know local musicians. Like restaurant workers, everyone in live entertainment was hurting, so the program hired musicians to deliver the food. “They had just lost French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest. From my parade organizing, I knew a lot of musicians, and I texted them.” Musicians were each assigned to specific hospitals to learn the processes for safe delivery and to build relationships there. The program built a network of 35 musicians who delivered food, and they took the job deeply seriously, Devin says, never missing a single delivery. It was for them an inspiring job: In the middle of a terrible pandemic, they were making a difference and also getting paid.

The program ended once donor fatigue set in. Devin is particularly proud that every penny of the $1.2 million is accounted for. “We spent zero dollars on the administration of this effort. It was all volunteer. I will forever be proud that every dollar that was given to us was spent in a way that was impactful to the community.” Feed the Front Line was only the beginning. Devin soon started plans for something bigger, that would help even more people and help preserve the culture of New Orleans during unprecedented times. Feed the Second Line was born. Devin De Wulf grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. In high school, he read Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life, by Jon Lee Anderson , and it set him on a path to At left, bean piece created by Red Bean Krewe member Cate Swan as a thank you to New Orleans medical workers; at right, Babydoll Honey of Le Bon Ton poses while filming an FTSL promotional piece in Rouses Markers (photo by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee)

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