Fellowship and Fried Chicken

Envolve purchases lunch for Garden Oaks residents from locally-owned McHardy’s

NEW ORLEANS, LA — Individuals and local businesses alike have suffered greatly due to the effects of COVID-19, and the owners of Garden Oaks Tower decided to do what they could to help.

Envolve wanted to support its communities during these uncertain times. The company decided to provide lunches for all residents of Garden Oaks Tower on 11/20—but instead of purchasing from a chain restaurant, they chose locally-owned McHardy’s Chicken & Fixin’.

“All of us at Envolve are excited about our resident lunch program,” said Jeff Ezekiel, President of Envolve Communities (the Investment Portfolio division of Envolve LLC). “It’s an honor to be able to give back in this way—and it not only helps our residents during this difficult time, but also supports local restaurants that may be suffering due to the pandemic. It’s just another opportunity to live out our tagline of ‘Making Communities Better Together.’”

Envolve’s New Orleans team served free meals to the Garden Oaks residents, which included McHardy’s famous fried chicken plus a side, roll, and cold drinks. Everyone also received a fabric face mask (provided by Envolve) and hand sanitizer (provided by the U.S. Census Bureau).

“Some residents indicated that they had not been out of their homes since the pandemic started and were elated that we were holding an outdoor event,” said Christopher Jones, Regional Manager at Envolve Communities. “We all had a wonderful time, and this was really an ‘Envolve Family’ effort.”

McHardy’s is a New Orleans staple, so when it came time to choose which restaurant to patronize, Ezekiel suggested this beloved, family-run establishment because it is a personal favorite of his.

“It was indeed an honor and privilege to provide an excess of 120 meals to Garden Oaks Tower,” said Rahman Mogilles, owner of McHardy’s. “[Envolve] is such a pillar in our community, and to be able to showcase our restaurant was fantastic. These are difficult financial times for small businesses, and it was truly a help to our bottom line.”

Jones also wanted to ensure there were useful resources available to the seniors in attendance, so he invited representatives from several organizations to set up booths (including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, People’s Choice, and JenCare Senior). The healthcare vendors provided wellness information and set up regular medical transport for Garden Oaks residents to get them to and from their doctors’ appointments.

“After lunch was over, we raffled off various prizes and ended the day with socially-distanced line dancing,” said Lisa Gallier, Community Manager at Garden Oaks. “Sometimes the only cure for the lockdown blues is a little music… and some amazing fried chicken!”