On Friday, January 10, Si Charro! Restaurants and Flores Concepts once again launched its Tamales for Heroes program by donating more than 3,600 tamales to California wildfire heroes.
With help from Shamrock Foods, each tamale was handmade at Carlotta’s Kitchen and then shipped off to communities in the Los Angeles area. Flores Concepts/Si Charro Restaurants CEO Ray Flores said his crew has already loaded the first shipment onto Shamrock trucks scheduled to leave for California on Monday.

“Our Southern California neighbors, especially those in the service industry who have lost jobs and shelter, need as much help as soon as they can get it,” said Flores. “Tamales for Heroes is our way of sending a message of our support and a handmade taste of Tucson that is easy to heat and serve, with a good balance of carbs, proteins, and fats.”
During the 2020 pandemic, the Flores family launched Tamales for Heroes. This initiative began with a donation of more than $10,000 worth of tamales and then continued online for further crowdfunding resources.
“Tamales can be the perfect meal-time fix during a stressful time for these folks in need,” Flores added. “We are grateful that our friends at Shamrock Foods have joined us in this effort since getting refrigerated food to this region is not easy. We could not do this without them.”
So, the Tamales for Heroes website has been relaunched, giving anyone interested the opportunity to help/send more tamales to those in need.
Additionally, Shamrock Foods, the distribution partner of Carlotta’s Kitchen, has committed to delivering the tamales in refrigerated trucks to community organizations such as Hope The Mission and others as time develops.
For more information on how you can support those in need, visit tamalesforheroes.com.
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Article written by:

Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.















