Courtesy of Michael Fojtasek
One of the biggest efforts to feed Austinites in need of hot meals during the Texas winter storm crisis and its aftermath has been led by Olamaie owner and chef Michael Fojtasek. This was all with the help of a monetary donation from the LEE Initiative, a Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit run by co-founders chef Ed Lee and Lindsey Ofcacek. Since Friday, Fojtasek and the Olamaie staff have been providing meals for the Palmer Events Center, one of the city’s designated warming centers for people who lost power and heat.
The connection began on Instagram. Fojtasek wrote out a lengthy post last week detailing the severity of the winter storm situation, especially for those in the restaurant industry (who were already dealing with the pandemic), and his frustration with the lack of clear resources and leadership from government officials on all levels. Lee, who knew the Austin chef already, reached out and told him, “‘‘I’m gonna send you a bunch of money, so you can start cooking,’” says Fojtasek.