September 16, 2009 FIG “Feeds the Need” at Downtown Charleston’s Neighborhood House
The FIG team recently lent a helping hand at the Neighborhood House in Charleston to take part in the Charleston Chefs Feed The Need Initiative. Feed the Need is a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting education and awareness of local hunger issues by sponsoring local activities and events.
LOCAL CHEFS RALLY TO FEED HUNGRY THROUGH NEW INITIATIVE
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Soup kitchens throughout the Lowcountry will serve more than 20,000 meals prepared by top local chefs over the coming year, thanks to a new community initiative launched today.
Charleston Chefs Feed the Need, a coalition of 52 restaurants, caterers and hoteliers who have rallied to help feed the hungry, will assist local emergency food providers as they face budget cuts and increasing demands. The program, established by Mickey Bakst of Charleston Grill at Charleston Place Hotel in conjunction with the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association, is the nation’s first organized relief effort in which meals will be cooked and served by the hospitality community on a year-round basis.
“As more and more people lose their jobs and homes, the demand within our food shelters grows, and they cannot keep up without help,” said Charleston Grill Manager Mickey Bakst, who got the idea for Feed the Need after learning that a budget crunch had forced Crisis Ministries to close its soup kitchen once a week. “It seems only natural that we , as individuals and as members of the food community, would want to help in any way we can.”
