Chef Nicolas Ganea of Sauce Nouvelle Bistro in Poulsbo has offered free meals to federal workers affected by the shutdown, generating widespread attention with a viral TikTok video.
The video, which has garnered over a million views, was created by Ganea to support federal workers during the difficult times of the shutdown.
Inspired by his own experiences of food insecurity growing up, Ganea wanted to prevent others from experiencing similar hardships.
“The reason why I made that video was I’ve gone through not always having food on my table growing up from a single mother and I just don’t want people to experience that same pain,” Ganea explained.
Ganea was surprised by the overwhelming response to his video, which he initially expected to receive only a few hundred views.
Instead, it attracted donations from across the country.
These donations are being used to organize a free community meal for hundreds of furloughed federal workers and their families.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 2 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Poulsbo First Lutheran Church.
Ganea expressed hope that the event would demonstrate unity and inspire others to follow suit in supporting those in need.
“Just showing like ‘no, we are not divided, we can come together,’ but we just gotta start that wave, which I think starts now on that Sunday,” he said.
The initiative by Chef Ganea not only provides immediate relief to federal workers but also aims to foster a sense of community and solidarity during challenging times.
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