In 2013, immediately following the Boston Marathon bombing, a local nonprofit foundation started raising money for victims. In a matter of six weeks, it raised over $550,000 for 66 different victims, helping to aid their recovery.
Since then, The Greg Hill Foundation has created a Boston Marathon Survivors Fund, which continues to support the victims by providing grants to fund services or equipment.
But now, the foundation has turned to another group in the city that's been hurting: restaurant owners.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hit the restaurant industry hard. Many eateries were forced to cut staff, reduce hours and shift their business model, just to keep the doors open. Many closed.
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The Greg Hill Foundation stepped in to help restaurants during the time of their greatest need. Backed largely by a donation from Grubhub, the nonprofit's revenue jumped 87.5% from 2019 to 2020, from $1.2 million to $9.6 million, according to federal tax filings. The foundation gave back about 75% of that revenue to restaurants nationwide during the height of pandemic — $2.2 million of that revenue went to more than 300 Boston-area restaurants, and several recipients say it helped keep them afloat.
