GIVING BACK
LIVE LIKE NOAH FOUNDATION
Noah Michaelis was one of our first customers at GASOLINA Cafe when we opened in 2015. She’d sit at the counter, with her parents, where she could watch my cooks and I prepare the food. Always with a book in her hands, she was an infinitely curious child that asked tons of questions about the restaurant. She soon became one of our favorite customers as she was the kind of girl that would light up a room and her kindness always made fast friends of strangers. After knowing Noah and her lovely parents Cecile and Keith, for a while, they asked us if we would cook Paella at their annual charity event “Noah’s Festival of Life” to raise money to help families affected by the most common birth defect, Congenital Heart Disease. That’s when we came to learn about Noah’s condition and their story. A story that involved her going through four open heart surgeries and being hospitalized many, many times. Despite so many surgeries and hospital visits, Noah’s motto was, “Help others as you would help yourself." Noah was a very special girl who had a real “joie de vivre” and in January of 2017, at age 13, she left us all far too soon. All that knew and were touched by her magic truly miss her, including us.
Cecile and Keith started the Live Like Noah Foundation to carry on Noah’s legacy of goodwill by advocating for Congenital Heart Disease and supporting local families affected by its challenges. It also provides grants to UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital Pediatric Lymphatic Intervention program, which was started in Noah's memory. This vital program is the second of its kind in the U.S.. I am proud to serve as a Board Member of the Live Like Noah Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), to help keep Noah’s legacy alive. You can read more on Noah’s story and the foundation here: www.livelikenoah.org
GASOLINA Cafe also sells a few of their merchandise, such as hats, beanies and their new stainless steel water bottle. 100% of the proceeds from each sale goes towards their missions.
— Sandra
RE:HER