Chefs For Change

With a dash of JOY, a dash of FAITH, a dash of HOPE and a dash of LOVE! 

For one of my field trips I decided to volunteer at an event held by People Serving People, which is a temporary emergency shelter located in downtown Minneapolis. Chefs for Change is a fundraising dinner the organization hosts about 8 times a year for their supporters and a local chef serves his food and shares his talent with guests and volunteers. On Tuesday, April 16, as a volunteer, I cleaned up after dinner from all the residents, moved tables around and set up for the event. We then
served the food the chef creates.
The local chef this month was Chef Hadj from Barbary Fig, and on the menu for the evening was a Hummus Bruschetta, Polenta with Roquefort cheese and roasted red pepper vinaigrette, Spinach and Feta Cheese pastry leaf, Grilled chicken breast with spring vegetables and Figs and candied orange in semolina gnocchi. Since there was a shortage of volunteers that evening, I also had the opportunity to work next Chef Hadj and Rachel, who also was a volunteer for the evening, and help decorate the food. I have learned from working in a restaurant all about presenting food to guests which is important. I really enjoyed being back with the behind the scenes, but I am more of a people person, and I enjoy using my skills and talent as a waitress to serve the food to the guests! I learned a lot about the organization while I was there. Not only do they house families who are homeless, they offer services for them to get back on their feet, including addressing employment and housing issues, and educational and other daily life needs for adults, teens and kids. 

Here is Rachel working next to Chef Hadj. He was a very fun chef to work with and he was ecstatic when I asked if I could take photos for my blog, and asked Rachel and I to share the photos on Facebook and Urbanspoon. The group of ladies below were the rest of the volunteers for the evening. We had a blast getting to know each other and sharing stories of food and our lives. One of the most important things I always remember from volunteering is the people I meet. I consider myself as a volunteer in my community with all the service work I do in my free time. I have a heart for volunteering, and I always enjoy giving my time, effort and talents to create a helpful and positive community that once helped my family and me.                            It amazes me to see such wonderful and generous people serve their time or make a monetary donation at an event like this all to help a population who is struggling. All the proceeds from the dinner go directly to People Serving People to assist the services for those who live there. Most may need nutritional education, or will more than likely be eligible for SNAP benefits. Some thoughts after the event: I am grateful to be able to have my own bed to sleep in and to have a strong nutrition education, and I realize, even with working with other low-income individuals, nutrition is not always the first thing on their mind. I hope some day that may not be such a concern for those individuals and families.