Ajinomoto Windsor (AW) has had a strong connection to the Houston, Texas area since 2014, when it acquired Windsor Quality Holdings, a Houston-headquartered manufacturer of Asian, Mexican, Italian and other frozen ready meals and appetizers. So, when the region was recently struck by severe flooding, wind-whipped destruction and power outages wreaked by Hurricane Harvey, the company readily responded by dispatching its food truck to provide free meals to storm victims and aid volunteers.
“When we heard about the damage Hurricane Harvey had caused in Houston, it was an easy decision for our team to put the food truck to good use. We were pleased that so many of our employees and partners were ready to volunteer. When you’ve gone through something as devastating as this, few things can be as impactful and encouraging as a hot meal when you don’t expect it,” said Brad Kumin, vice president of marketing for Ajinomoto Windsor’s foodservice division.
Brad Kumin, Ajinomoto Windsor foodservice division’s vice president of marketing, and Debbie Grudzien, southwest division manager, make bagged lunches ready for distribution. The company’s custom-built food truck, which went into service earlier this year for promotional and training purposes, was rapidly rolled out to help dispatch food to hurricane victims and aid volunteers.The crew first arrived in Pasadena, Texas, where it quickly set up the truck and began preparing lunch for the community.
Over a four-hour period on the first day, over 200 meals were served to local citizens. Food was provided to storm victims and persons who had volunteered to help with clearing and restoration.
As can be imagined, preparing so many meals and storing that much food was a challenge in itself. Ajinomoto Windsor called upon one of its local brokers, Waypoint Houston, to lend assistance. Immediately making a facility available for food preparation, it also supplied sauces, materials, plates and other materials required to distribute a large number of meals.
On the second day of operations, a four-person Ajinomoto Windsor team (consisting of Brad Kumin, Gary Fischer, Bill Robertson and Debbie Grudzien) and personnel from Advantage Waypoint Houston and Muise helped support one of the larger disaster relief centers in Houston. They worked at a site set up by the Houston Food Bank to feed families and workers in the community.
The AW crew served in excess of a thousand meals to those in need, with lines that were hundreds of people deep. From salads and loaves of bread to Bernardi Tortellini, Amoy Fried Rice, Tai Pei Asian meals and Whitey’s Chili, the food was very much appreciated by recipients.
The AW truck next moved to Kingwood, one of the hardest-hit areas around Houston. Employees of Ajinomoto Windsor and their family members were on hand to help out.
The long and exhausting weekend was deemed a great success by Kumin, who stated: “I want to express my sincerest thanks to everyone that helped with the relief effort. I think we all were reminded how powerful good food can be, and how the little things can make a big difference to those in need.”
