Houston Builders and a Restaurant Duo Team Up to Feed Cancer Families in High-Risk Coronavirus Conditions
When Social Distancing is a Matter of Life and Death
BY Shelby Hodge // 04.08.20Construction Concepts CEO Joshua Weisman preparing food deliveries for families of children being treated for cancer in the Texas Medical Center.
In a continuation of its Building Lives and Dreams in Texas (BLDit) philanthropy, Houston’s Construction Concepts is once again teaming up with B.I.G. Love Cancer Care, this time providing meals for families with children battling cancer — families in which a COVID-19 infection would bring serious risk to patients whose immune systems are compromised due to treatment.
“This is an incredibly challenging time for everyone. If you have a child with cancer, just going to the store could literally mean life or death for them,” says Construction Concepts CEO Joshua Weisman. “It changes everything for your family.
Some of these families are living in hotels, and most cannot work or even risk leaving their homes.”
To that end, Weisman has teamed up with Bosscat Kitchen & Libations owners John Reed and Leslie Nguyen to serve the city’s most at-risk population. This partnership means that 100 meals will be delivered this week by B.I.G. Love Cancer Care to 20 families with children battling cancer.
And that is just the beginning of the program that will ultimately provide 500 meals to families and medical staff at Texas Children’s Hospital, M.D. Anderson, and cancer families quarantined at home. The program represents a $10,000 contribution by Construction Concepts, an effort that provides for both cancer families and Bosscat restaurant workers.
“The restaurant industry has always stepped up in times of need, and this is no different,” Bosscat’s Reed says. “We are all trying to adjust to the current restrictions and be able to keep our doors open and staff employed, as well as continuing to provide some sort of normalcy for the community by offering meals to-go.
“Our mission has always been to serve. Through this partnership, we can help keep the local economy going and in turn share that with those families that have now lost any sort of normalcy at all.”
In December, Construction Concepts hosted a holiday party at 51fifteen benefiting B.I.G. Love Cancer Care, and in May of last year, the firm held a fundraiser for Camp for All.
As Weisman said at that time, “My wife, Trisha, and I are grateful for the opportunity to give back, and our team has personally volunteered alongside B.I.G. Love and know the tremendous impact they have on families with children battling cancer.”