Update on Our Hurricane Response
Applications for Hurricanes Helene and Milton are now closed.

Cases are processed in the order in which they were received. We are distributing weekly updates regarding processing time; please watch for emails from our team!

If you applied for assistance unrelated to these disasters, we are working as quickly as possible to process your case. Please reach out to your case manager directly or casemanagement@southernsmoke.org for any updates. Thank you for your patience during this time of unprecedented volume.

We are so grateful for the outpouring of support, and thanks to generous donors, to date we have granted $699,500 to 487 F+B workers affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton with 2,500 more being processed.

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Ope
Chef Image
Amosu
Houston, TX /
ChòpnBlọk
WHERE WILL I BE COOKING:

Growing up in Houston as a child of Nigerian immigrants and having direct ties back to his family’s homeland, Amosu personifies the Afro-American crossroads. ‍After earning a MBA from Rice University and a 10-year tenure as a commercial executive in the energy sector, Amosu transitioned into the hospitality industry with the vision of creating ChòpnBlọk, the cultural crossroads where West African culinary traditions and local communities intersect. Ope has grown ChòpnBlọk from an acclaimed dining pop up concept into a nationally heralded restaurant, earning him a 2024 Emerging Chef nomination from the James Beard Foundation. He is founder of Chopd & Stewd Festival.  He is a rising culinarian with an extensive list of celebrity clientele and features, including Bravo’s Top Chef, The New York Times, Food & Wine, Hulu’s Taste the Nation, and PBS’ No Passport Required.

Generously supported by Vinson & Elkins