Booker Parchment and Amazon’s Black Employee Network and distributing meals outside Mr. Braxton Bar and Kitchen

by Austin Schott

Booker Parchment, from Mr. Braxton Bar & Kitchen in Park View, managed DC participation in a national Day of Service campaign this month to provide free meals to frontline workers, community centers, and others.

On March 6th and 7th, Mr. Braxton, in association with and supported by Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Food and Friends, and nutrition expert Camille Range MPH RDN, among others, provided 700 meals across the city. Parchment and his team spent their weekend visiting the Washington Hospital Center, Howard University Hospital, Metropolitan Police Department’s 3rd and 4th Districts, the Southeast Tennis and Learning Centers, Men’s Shelter at St. Elizabeth’s East Campus Hospital, as well as recreation centers, senior centers, and residential apartments. They also handed out meals out front of Mr. Braxton to folks in the local community.

Amazon’s Black Employee Network supporting distribution efforts at Mr. Braxton Bar & Kitchen

Mr. Braxton’s free meals saw Parchment’s culinary expertise in full force. One of the meals was a black bean burger with a baby arugula red onions and roasted red hummus. Another was roasted honey jerk chicken breast over coconut saffron rice and harvest vegetables with a side of mixed greens.

“The reaction was amazing,” Parchment said. “The CEO of Howard University hospital actually came out and the nurses were very thankful for us thinking about them. And we got a lot of outreach through social media with individuals thanking us.”

Booker Parchment with Howard University Hospital CEO, Anita Jenkins, and employees

Booker Parchment with Howard University Hospital Nurses during meal distribution.

“I was proud of everyone that worked with us and I’m really proud of the partners that helped us put this great day together,” said Parchment.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to serve our Community, so [DC’s Alumni Chapter’s] Guide Right Committee collaborated with the Chapter's Community Service Committee to assist in this endeavor,” Kevin Jones, Chair of DC’s Guide Right Committee, said.

Mr. Braxton team distributing meals at Washington Cancer Institute

The Guide Right Committee is a Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity national service project. “[Parchment] gave us total flexibility to select the organization of our choice and we couldn't think of a more deserving group than our Hospital frontline workers and first responders. With that, we choose to collaborate with Black Nurses Rock Sorority at Washington Hospital Center and Howard University Hospital nursing staff.”

Amazon provided financial support for the Day of Service. This was an initiative, born out of Amazon’s Black Employee Network (BEN), to support eight Black-owned restaurants across the country including in Houston, LA, Queens, Chicago, Miami, Nashville, and Atlanta, in addition to DC. BEN also volunteered and helped with the packing of the meals and the distribution of the meals in front of Mr. Braxton. The Day of Service was held alongside their release of Amazon Prime’s Coming 2 America.

“We had an awesome time. We had a lot of fun getting meals out…I definitely want to give [BEN] a shout out,” Parchment told me.

“It was a great day of service for all who participated and especially the Brothers from Washington DC Alumni Chapter,” said Jones. “One of the fraternity's objectives is ‘to inspire service in the public's interest’ … and believe we hit that head on that day.”