LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The House of Dutch Pot, a Carribean restaurant on South Durango Drive, helped out the homeless community across the Las Vegas Valley on Christmas Day, spreading the holiday spirit by passing out homemade meals.
“I’m here to be that Santa Claus. We are giving out all the food; we’ve got desserts," said House of Dutch Pot owner Oniel "Chef O" Smith. "We’ve got so much for them — sweet and sour chicken, baked chicken."
Chef O tells Channel 13 he was working on the food for this event for the past two weeks.
In two-and-a-half years, Chef O has turned House of Dutch Pot into a Las Vegas mainstay, even making an appearance on Guy Fieri's :Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" show. With success, he says he doesn't forget the struggles he faced growing up in Jamaica.
“I know what poverty is like. I know what struggle is like. I know what waking up and going to bed without food (is like), so the minute God has blessed me with the opportunity, financially, to give back, I will always give back," Chef O said.
Last year, he decided to pass out meals to the homeless on Christmas Day. Chef O says they passed out about 50 meals in 2022, but this year, they increased that number to 1,000. He says they plan to raise that to 3,000 next year.
“Some people just need an opportunity. Some people just need a chance, and I’m here for that. I’m here to give the opportunity," Chef O said.
“I can’t be hopeless," said Robert Gaskin, who has been homeless in Las Vegas for 10 years. "I may be homeless, but I’m not hopeless, so that makes it work better for me, and this stuff matters.”
The group passed out food and drinks near the Las Vegas Rescue Mission and traveled around town finding more people in need across the valley.
Chef O says he wants to partner with other businesses for years to come to reach his goal of delivering a Christmas meal to all the homeless in the valley.
According to the 2023 Southern Nevada Point-In-Time Count conducted on Jan. 25, there are an estimated 6,566 people experiencing homelessness across Las Vegas, and they predicted 16,251 people would experience homelessness sometime this year.
As for business ventures moving forward, Chef O says he plans on opening three more locations soon — and he says he'll team up with Guy Fieri during Super Bowl week for a special.
