(MIAMI HERALD) – Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are doing their part amid the coronavirus crisis.
OK, so they did hit the gym for a VIP session that one time during quarantine, but they appear to be grappling with the severity of the situation now.
The two stars are staying at home, sheltering in place at Rodriguez’s Coral Gables mansion by the looks of their Instagram accounts.
Over the weekend, the celebrity couple (who are rumored to be looking to buy the New York Mets) donated 20,000 chef-prepared frozen meals from Tiller & Hatch Supply Co., which they co-own.
Their line of “high-quality and nutritious food” went to unemployed hospitality and restaurant workers across South Florida, who have either been laid off or furloughed due to COVID-19.
According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, about half of the approximately 750,000 hotel-supported jobs in Florida have been lost due to the pandemic.
Helping to distribute these meals Saturday was intrepid local teen Henry Hurowitz, who started FoodEase, a volunteer organization helping to reduce food waste in South Florida. After the Super Bowl, Henry delivered leftovers from Hard Rock Stadium to homeless shelters.
The giveaway began Saturday at the Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort video shows the 16-year-old hero lugging plastic bags in the lobby. Other hotels set to receive JRod’s meals (sold at Walmart) include The Shelborne and Mondrian in South Beach, DoubleTree By Hilton Ocean Point Resort in Sunny Isles and The Mayfair in Coconut Grove. This effort is part of a larger distribution with Food Rescue US, which will distribute an additional 12,000 meals throughout South Florida next week.
“The generosity and support shown by Tiller & Hatch Supply Co., Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez will mean so much to those facing food insecurity within the Miami community,” said Carol Shattuck, CEO, Food Rescue US. “We are proud to be able to partner to help provide meals to those who have recently lost their jobs in the hospitality sector and others facing food insecurity due to COVID-19.”
The hotels reached out to their employees via email, who were told to visit the hotel’s valet drive-through. They were not to get out of the cars and to just pop their trunks to stay within social distancing guidelines.
Lopez and Rodriguez were not on site. Organizers thought it best they stay away due to the “crowd they would attract,” they told the Miami Herald.
Lopez was busying herself on Saturday, though, belting out the classic song “People” at the One World: Together at Home livestreamed concert.
“There’s one thing I realized during this whole time,” Lopez wrote of the virtual performance. “And that’s how much we all need each other.”
