Society

FROM LEFT: Alison Matis and Cheryl Weis organized meal pick up events for furloughed

restaurant and hospitality workers. (PHOTOS: MANNY RODRIGUEZ PHOTOGRAPHY AND ONE SHOT FILM)

MEET THE BFFS THAT FED 50,000

It felt like someone unplugged our lives,” recalled a hotel server whose husband was serving as a chef de partie for a well-known Dallas restaurant when the pandemic hit. The couple, who didn’t want their names shared in print, met 18 years ago while working at the same hotel.

“We ‘grew up’ in the industry; it’s our family,” the wife said. “One day, we were all unemployed, separated from our work families, and unsure about our futures.”

When restaurants and hotels shut down last year due to COVID-19, thousands of restaurant and hospitality workKERSTEN RETTIG ers lost their jobs. Some companies offered partial pay furlough deals, but many were just let go with no severance.

Alison Matis and Cheryl Weis are experienced event producers, planning large-scale food events such as Park & Palate and Chefs for Farmers through their company, FestEvents Group.

With their event business cratering, and Matis’ husband, chef de cuisine at Fearing’s, and many of his team furloughed, Matis and Weis saw first-hand that industry folks were losing their jobs and food and beverage providers were losing their customers.

The pair, who also co-founded FestEvents Foundation dedicated to workforce sustainability and development in the restaurant and hospitality industries, jumped into action.

They connected with industry leaders locally and created Staff Meal, a massive collaboration between industry leaders such as Steve DeShazo, director of workforce development at Dallas College, suppliers such as Chef’s Produce, and other contributors such as Omni Hotels & Resorts. Staff Meal provided more than 50,000 meals to displaced hospitality workers and their families.

While they were managing Staff Meal, Matis and Weis, through their foundation, created Piehole Project, an online auction of 25 pies made from some of Dallas’ top chefs and bakers, including Anastasia Quiñones-Pittman of José, Matt McCallister of Homewood, and Chad Houser of Café Momentum. That auction raised $14,000 for their Chefs of Tomorrow Scholarship program, which funds culinary and hospitality scholarships at schools such as Johnson & Wales, the University of North Texas, and Dallas College.

Bolstered by the success of the Piehole Project and keenly aware of the need to support and develop the hospitality industry

It’s a tough industry, but it’s filled with advancement opportunities and educational support such as FestEvent Foundation’s Chefs of Tomorrow Scholarships.

workforce, which is suffering a staffing shortage, Matis and Weis are producing another fundraiser.

Piehole Project Live! The Variety Show is a one-night-only special event on Oct. 28, where 15 Dallas chefs will prepare dinner for small groups of diners.

Between courses, entertainment acts including an aerialist, a magician, and a belly dancer will perform on center stage. The event includes another online pie auction which will start two weeks before the event and conclude that evening. Tickets, tables sales, and sponsorships are available.

Matis and Weis expect to raise $25,000 for culinary student scholarships in 2021-22 to help relieve the restaurant staffing shortage we all feel right now.

It’s a tough industry, but it’s filled with advancement opportunities and educational support, such as FestEvent Foundation’s Chefs of Tomorrow Scholarships.

Follow Kersten Rettig, a Park Cities-based writer with more than 30 years’ experience in food and beverage marketing and public relations, On Instagram @KerstenEats.

IF YOU GO

What: Piehole Project Live, a variety show and dining experience presented by the Festevents Foundation to educate future culinary and hospitality workers.

When: Oct. 28

Where: On The Levee, 1108 Quaker St.

Information: pieholeproject.org

Looking Ahead

Women of Distinction

Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) will honor Kit Addleman, Hattie Hill, and Cris Zertuche Wong during the 17th annual Women of Distinction celebration.

The event, presented by AT&T virtually at noon Oct. 29, celebrates outstanding women leaders of all ages for their service in the community.

“It is such an honor to recognize these incredible individuals for their servant leadership and dedication to making our community the best community for girls and women to thrive,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. “Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas is committed to ensuring that the girls have strong opportunities for success and role models to look up to.”

Addleman is a partner at Haynes and Boone; Hill, president and CEO of the T.D. Jakes Foundation, and Cris Zertuche Wong, vice president of Goldman Sachs. Visit gsnetx.org/WDL.

Kit Addleman

(COURTESY PHOTOS)

Hattie Hill Cris Zertuche Wong

‘Power of One’ gala

Mercury One, a nonprofit organization founded in 2011 by media personality, entrepreneur and author Glenn Beck will celebrate 10 years of restoring the human spirit with “The Power of One: Renewing Kindness” anniversary gala at 7 p.m. Oct. 9. at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Christian music artists Colton Dixon and Danny Gokey will headline the gala as part of a special stop on their 2021 “Stand in Faith” tour.

Mercury One provides humanitarian aid and disaster relief, offers education programs about the nation’s founding, fights human trafficking, and works to protect persecuted religious minorities worldwide.

Tickets for the gala must be purchased in advance. General Admission B tickets are $25 per person, General Admission A tickets are $50 per person, and VIP tickets, which include VIP seating, a special VIP reception, and one drink ticket, are $300 per person. Visit universe.com and search for “Renewing Kindness.” – Compiled by William Taylor

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Event Chairs: Robyn and Chris Chauvin

Megan Townsend, Chuck Steelman, and Audrey Miranda Hamilton Sneed, Cynthia Smoot, and Leah Frazier Holly and Matt Quartaro with an Eurasian eagle owl

Caribbean flamingos Aruba and Bermuda Kellie Rasberry, Dr. Mary Collings with an African penguin

(PHOTOS: THOMAS GARZA PHOTOGRAPHY)

Supporters of the Dallas Zoo gathered at POP! by Snowday inside the Galleria Dallas, where the zoo leaders revealed details for this year’s exciting fundraiser: Return To The Wild: Zoo To Do 2021 on Nov. 6.

On July 20, servers wandered through the Galleria crowd with bites as guests got up-close and personal with several of the Zoo’s Animal Adventures Outreach ambassador animals, including a Eurasian eagle owl, a radiated tortoise, and a friendly pair of flamingos.

Rhealyn Carter, vice president of advancement at Dallas Zoo, reminded guests that for the past 30 years, Zoo To Do has raised $17 million-plus for the zoo’s mission of engaging people and saving wildlife. – Staff report

LEFT TO RIGHT TOP: Elian Rojas, Naomi Diaz, Executive Chef Jessica Alshebli, Aashik Khakoo, CEO, WOKC, Nikolos Tacey, Jazlyn Lewis; BOTTOM: Lucas Hidalgs, Shane “Shanepool” Burns, Lucy Meyer, Juan Pablo Marcias, Nicolas Garcia, Micahi Neal

Carol Johnson, and Sarah Koldyke Jo Tiller, Fran Cashen, and Connie Yates Cindy Brinker Simmons, Aashik Khakoo, and Regina Bruce

Jennie Gilchrist, Karisti Julia, and Jo Alch

Holly Scurry, Marilyn Ellis, and Tammy Harkins

PHOTOS: DANNY CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHY AND ROB WYTHE/WYTHE PORTRAIT STUDIO)

Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer (WOKC) founder Cindy Brinker Simmons honored WOKC Guild members with a tea in her North Dallas home on Aug. 5.

On Aug. 12, Maggiano’s Little Italy provided a cooking class for “cancer warriors” (children diagnosed with the disease) at its NorthPark Center restaurant.

But organizers postponed the Wipe Out Kids’ Cancer 40th anniversary Celebration Gala, initially slated for Oct. 16, until April 30, 2022, out of concern for surging infection rates of COVID-19.

“This has weighed on our hearts and minds throughout these past few weeks,” gala chairs Jenice Dunayer and Jackie Thornton said.

At Maggiano’s, executive chef Jessica Alshebli provided the children with a hands-on learning experience leading them through creating lasagna and an apple crisp dessert.

At the tea, Brinker Simmons introduced her dear friend, Connie Yates, as chair of the 2022 WOKC Guild.

– Staff report

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