Campaign will help island families in Ronald McDonald house in Southern California

Daughter of Guam and owner of Island Smoke N Grill in Los Angeles, Carmen Naputi Davis, is on a mission to bring the warmth and love of the island, one meal at a time to families in need.

“I had this family come up to me and said that they miss chamorro food and I said you're in the right place,” said Davis. 

It was in November of last year, when we introduced you to Carmen Naputi Davis, chef and owner of Island Smoke N Grill in Los Angeles. It was that very interview that prompted so many islanders in the area to  stop by her food truck because they were homesick and missing those local flavors.

And it was in all these interactions that she met a young boy.

“He looked at me kind of sad and said I miss home but I'm here because I'm fighting leukemia. I was like, what can I do for you? What can I feed you? And he said all I want is chicken kelaguen and red rice. And I was like boy, I'm on it, I got you,” she said. 

When talking with the boy's family, she offered her assistance if they needed anything.

“She just said you know it would be great if you bring your food to the Ronald McDonald home. There's a lot of kids that are from Guam that miss the home cooked meals,” she said. 

Making good on her word, she rolled up to the Ronald McDonald house in Southern California, not knowing what to expect.

“I have a full on fiesta meal for them and a lot of islanders, from Palau, Chuuk, Yap, were coming out and Guam and Saipan. They were blessed with red rice, corn soup, finadene, and BBQ, they were so happy,” she said. 

Along with seeing so many island families in the home, she knew that there are many who come to California for medical treatment that don't have relatives to support them while out there. 

Davis launched a Go Fund Me campaign, monies raised will go to meals of love for the families at the Ronald McDonald house and assist them as they navigate through these difficult times.

The push for the campaign is in memory and honor of Mike Iriarte whom she never met but Iriarte had reached out to her on Instagram and they talked once.

“He said he was gonna call me and we're gonna talk. We were gonna collaborate and he needs help and it's gonna be great but it's an idea he needs help with,” she said. 

Iriarte passed before they had a chance to talk but in talking with his family, Carmen learned that he had plans for 'Hafa Box.'

“Hafa Box is essentials that he put together. It's a box of all of the essentials that you need being displaced from Guam moving to California…I'm powered by the lord and his spirit to guide this fund so people on Guam don't suffer. His movement is so beautiful and touching. The Hafa Box is amazing,” she added. 

In closing, Davis said that if you come to her food truck or BBQ, you get hugs, great food, and now you're family because she's fed you.

“No matter what, I will love you. if nobody loves you. I love you. I will love you til the end of my day,” she said. 

It's those deep connections where she draws her strength and power from to move forward. She is calling on the spirit of Inafa Maolek

“I don’t have the means, but I have the ability to ask. I said it in my first interview, if you want something, you go out there and you ask for it. I'm asking our people to please come together and help me make meals for the people out here,”she said. 

If you would like to donate and help in Carmen's mission, you can find the GoFundMe link here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-island-smoke-n-grill-feed-families-in-need?attribution_id=sl:f485fa15-9f29-4e72-a927-4debf08a8ea8&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet_ai&utm_content=amp9v2&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link