How this restaurant reinvented as a community meal service powered by immigrants

When Alma Cocina Latina and Mera Kitchen Collective closed their in-person operations in March 2020, owners Irena Stein and Emily Lerman collaborated to establish a free community meal service called Ålkimiah. Over the past year, they’ve provided 105,000 nutritious meals to underserved Baltimore residents. Stein, originally from Venezuela, transitioned from a jewelry designer in New York to a food and community advocate. Her Venezuelan cafes in Baltimore fostered conversations among brilliant scientists over coffee and arepas.