Hunger Heroes - Winter 2019

An exclusive newsletter for our Hunger Heroes

What’s INSIDE You’re Helping Families Get More Produce Food Banker Profile: Dimitra Vourliotis, Culinary Trainer Fight Hunger with Amplify Austin

Winter 2019

KNOW SOMEONE WHO NEEDS FOOD ASSISTANCE? Help them connect with our Find Food Now feature!

You’re Helping Families Get More Produce Sandy and her husband both work full time to provide their children with a bright future. Their son, Isaiah, is planning to go to college to study technology, while his older sister wants to be a doctor. They will be first-generation college students.

Sandy’s mother-in-law and sister-inlaw also live with the family. Though her mother-in-law works from time to time, she focuses on taking care of her daughter who suffers from epilepsy and must be taken care of when she has a seizure.

With only two working adults in the household, it can be tough to make ends meet. After paying all their expenses, the family doesn’t have much left over for food.

Sandy requests time off of work to attend the Food Bank’s Mobile Food Pantry distribution in the morning. By going, Sandy is able to save money and stretch her budget to pay other bills.

“The food that we receive here, it’s good because [the money] we make when we work pays the rent and bills because we’re a very big family. The food that is given here helps a lot,” she said.

At the distribution she receives pantry staples, fruits and veggies. Everything she needs to keep her family healthy.

2

“They give us cabbage, lettuce, milk.

Sometimes they give onions, tomatoes… what they do give, we’re very grateful for,” Sandy said. Sandy gets creative in the kitchen with the food she receives. She will add cabbage to the enchiladas she makes and the potatoes are mixed with chorizo.

Sandy’s family isn’t always able to afford fruits and vegetables that are needed for a balanced diet. Her family is very grateful for the food they receive from the Food Bank, especially the nutritious produce Sandy gets to take home.

“We’re very grateful for the help because it’s very significant for my family and me,” Sandy said.

To read Sandy’s full story, visit our blog at www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/news.

Connecting the people we serve to nutritious food in a timely manner is at the core of our mission. That’s why the Food Bank works hard to meet our neighbors where they are. Our clients often access the internet from their phone on the go, so our Find Food Now feature is a mobile-first tool, built to connect our clients to food and resources near them—all from their computer, smartphone or tablet.

If you know anyone that is in need of food assistance, direct them to www. centraltexasfoodbank.org and click “Find Food Now” to find the closest open food pantry or hot meal near them!

Food Banker Profile Dimitra Vourliotis, Culinary Trainer

The Food Bank recently hired our first Culinary Trainer, Dimitra Vourliotis, to run the Culinary Training Program that was piloted successfully this past Spring.

This 12-week program runs five days a week, 30 hours per week and is a mix of classroom time and hands-on job training designed to teach basic culinary skills such as equipment operation, knife skills and basic cooking techniques.

Q Hi Dimitra! Tell us more about yourself and how you came to the Food Bank.

I have been working as a chef for over eight years. I am originally from New York and I relocated to Austin last year. I have worked in various areas in the food service industry including restaurants, food trucks, culinary schools, as well as freelancing as a private chef. My desire to help others while sharing my passion for food is what drew me to this position at the Central Texas Food Bank.

Q What can students expect from the program?

Each day will be split between classroom lessons and practical, hands-on lessons.

The program is 100% free and includes uniforms, tools and books. Students will also have a chance to earn their ServSafe Foodhandler’s Certificate at no cost, which is often a requirement for employment in the industry. As part of our mission to help students gain full-time employment after completion of the program, we will also dedicate time to resume building and interview preparation. This program provides real-world experience in the Food Bank’s state-of-the-art kitchen, working with commercial equipment and food production.

Q What types of skills will these students get out of the program when they graduate?

Our program is designed to teach students the fundamental culinary skills including knife skills, equipment operation and various cooking techniques through experiential, hands-on learning. Students

will also learn nutrition, kitchen math, food safety, resume building and interviewing skills.

Q The Food Bank recently finished a successful pilot program, where one of our graduates, Carnell, was offered a job on the spot at graduation! What are some of the long term goals you are hoping to achieve through this program?

The impact of this program on people’s lives and the community is tremendous.

Giving someone the skills to launch a career can propel them out of long-term poverty. This benefits the community when someone can become a more productive member of society and gives the person their self respect and dignity back. While the economic impact of moving people out of poverty can be expressed in dollars, one cannot put a price on the latter.

You can find more information about the Culinary Training Program at www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/kitchen

3

Dear Friend, In this issue of Hunger Heroes we’re sharing one of the most exciting ways for you to make a real impact on the community. Amplify Austin is an effective opportunity for you to help serve your Central Texas neighbors in need. It’s a perfect tool to help spread the word about the important work being done throughout our city.

There will be 600 organizations participating in Amplify Austin this year, and many of them are nonprofits that we partner with every day to get nutritious food into the hands of people who need it. Perhaps the most exciting component of Amplify Austin is that your investment will be magnified by all of the incredible sponsors who contribute matching gifts.

It’s hard to turn down an opportunity to transform your generous $50 donation into a gift of $100.

Despite our best efforts—serving more than 46,000 people every week—there’s a serious meal gap in our community.

We’re falling short of meeting demand by a staggering 30 percent. This year, our goal is to raise enough through Amplify Austin to close the 30 percent meal gap in Central Texas for three months. We know we’ve set a big goal, and we can only do it with your help.

Amplify Austin exemplifies the very best part of being a member of this community. Having a full day each year to celebrate and support non-profits is incredible, and compassionate people just like you make it a reality. There are many ways you can be a part of helping the Food Bank this year, but Amplify Austin is certainly going to be one of the most fun.

Mark Jackson Chief Development Officer

FIGHT HUNGER WITH AMPLIFY AUSTIN There are thousands of Austin families facing hunger and we won’t rest until all our neighbors have what they need.

The Austin community’s annual day of giving, Amplify Austin, helps put healthy food on the table for thousands of Central Texas families in need. This year, we’ll have 24 hours to crank up the giving – from 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2019, to 6 p.m. on Friday, March 1, 2019. Preschedule your donation starting January 15 at www. amplifyatx.org and search for Central Texas Food Bank.

Thank you for keeping our community nourished!

Our Mission: To nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger.

A member of 6500 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744 | 512.220.2680 | centraltexasfoodbank.org