3rd Annual Tour d' Epicure

This past Sunday 145 guests boarded 6 trolleys, thanks to Old Savannah Tours, and embarked upon a fantastic evening full of incredible food, wine, art, and friends all to raise money to support the Kids Cafe of Second Harvest.  This year's event raised a record of over $21,000 to help end hunger in our community.

Participating restaurants included 17 Hundred 90, The Bohemian: Rocks on the Roof, Circa,  Leoci's, Local 11 Ten, Iocovozzi Fine Art & Judge Reality, and The Olde Pink House.  Small plates of delicious gourmet creations were paired with lovely wines while local artist presented an original piece for silent auction. 

Leoci's Trattoria

Circa 1875

The Old Pink House

Local 11 Ten

At Iocovozzi Fine Art & Judge Realty, the Chefs and staff of Grace's Community Kitchen at Second Harvest prepared a flavorful Middle Eastern Dish while guests enjoyed art and learning about the Culinary Job Training program at Second Harvest. 

Each stop also featured a local artist, including Kate Dowdle, Katrina Schmidt-Rinke, "Panhandle Slim," Shelley Smith (Co-Chair of the Tour which was created in honor of her daughter, Velouria Smith Proctor), and Thomas Cook.

Many, many thanks to our sponsors: J.T. Turner Constructions Co. Inc, Lynch Associates Architects, and Kevin Ryan.

Also, a huge toast to our wrap party hosts- Rocks on the Roof at the Bohemian Hotel as well as our printing sponsor, Creative Approach.

Chef Kelly and Terri plate heir dish

Executive Director, Mary Jane Crouch, talks with guests about childhood hunger and Second Harvest initiatives to fight hunger in our community.

Jack Neises & Chef Kelley 

Dessert spread at the Bohemian, Rocks on the Roof

Co-Chair, Kristin King, and guest, Annelise Nelson, enjoy the patio ambiance at Leoci's

Graduation for Grace’s Kids Cafe Community Kitchen 44th and 45th Culinary Arts Classes

On February 10th, 13 graduates were honored at a ceremony at America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia.  The graduates are members of the 44th and 45th classes who have completed the 18 week culinary job training program offered at Second Harvest, under the instruction of Chef Floyd Jackson and Iris Holmes-McCraw.

In addition to preparing over 2,500 meals each day for the 43 Kids Cafe sites, the graduates prepared for their ServSafe certification which ensures safe food-handling procedures, with 9 of the graduates receiving their certification.

Above, graduate Ricky Andrews delivers a poem he wrote entitled "Hold on to Your Dreams" which was inspiring and encouraging not only to his fellow graduates but to all in attendance.

Guest speaker, Tim Rutherford, who is columnist for Connect Savannah, shared his wisdom about the culinary arts industry.  Rutherford contributes regularly to magazines ranging from Food Network magazine to Delta Sky. His weekly e-mail newsletter, Savannahfoodie Tastings, circulates weekly to nearly 6,000 subscribers and he recently joined Wright Square Cafe in Sandfly as general manager.

Congratulations to all of the graduates, their families, and the staff at America's Second Harvest for continuing this incredible program that supports and empowers our community in countless ways.

Red Clover Hosts Food Drive

The ladies at Red Clover have always been supporters of the trendy annual "Jewels and Jeans" fundraiser for Second Harvest and now they've gone the extra yard to help stock our shelves during the holidays with an in-store food drive.


Leah Lancaster and Thu Le Tran teamed together to open Red Clover, Inc. in 2007 and this quaint women’s boutique is located at 244 Bull Street and sells clothing, accessories, jewelry and gifts from local designers.  Stop by to cross some gifts off your shopping list and bring in a few canned goods while you are at it and receive a discount on your purchases!


Thank you Leah and Thu for your continued generosity and concern for our community!


Find all the latest trends at www.facebook.com/RedCloverBoutique

BowStern Awards Second Harvest "Serving Our Savannah" Pro-Bono Program

WTOC Video

March 23, 2011

BowStern Announces “Serving Our Savannah” Winner

Pro-Bono Campaign Aimed at the Heart of the Non-Profit Community

(Savannah, Ga.) -  Representatives from BowStern, an integrated marketing firm, are pleased to announce America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia as winner of the Serving Our Savannah (SOS) pro-bono program. As the selected winner, BowStern will provide this organization with marketing support at no charge, for an entire year.

Coupled with launch of the BowStern Savannah office, SOS was developed specifically for this region. Local nonprofits were given approximately one month to complete applications. In all, BowStern received over 25 applications from local nonprofits interested in the program.

“As part of our company mission, we believe in ‘going first – and giving back’ when entering into any community,” said Tom Derzypolski, Principal, BowStern. “This decision was a difficult one for the entire BowStern team. Ultimately, we felt that America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia had the greatest ability to impact the communities of the region, and in fact, supports other nonprofits themselves.”

The primary mission of America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia is distributing nutritious food to nonprofits agencies, at-risk elderly and youth. More than 300 nonprofit organizations in the region work in partnership with Second Harvest to distribute food to those in need.  Throughout the year, BowStern will develop an integrated marketing plan, along with 35 hours per month of support in the areas of branding, advertising, graphic design, public relations and social media.  The 12-month package has a value of $60,000.

“A key consideration in our decision was looking at where we could help and have the greatest impact in Savannah and throughout the region,” said Kimberly Pannell, President BowStern Savannah. “The decision process was agonizing as we reviewed application after application from organizations doing wonderful work. Ultimately, providing this basic need – food, and supporting so many others nudged Second Harvest to the front of the pack.”

Partner organizations of America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia include food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, domestic abuse facilities, senior centers and daycare centers for low-income children.

Those not selected will still have the opportunity to receive marketing support through quarterly consulting seminars. The BowStern team will host sessions at no cost to nonprofits, focused on providing creative direction and guidance throughout the year. The first seminar will launch in April of this year.

For more information about BowStern or the SOS program, visit www.BowStern.com.

The 2nd Annual Tour D' Epicure Raises $18,000 for Kids Cafes

An incredible evening was had by all 121 attendees at the 2nd Annual Tour d' Epicure, in memory of Velouria Smith Proctor and benefitting America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia's Kids Cafe programs.  Guests boarded trolleys, compliments of Old Savannah Tours, and enjoyed 6 stops before ending at the Bohemian for chocolate martinis, desserts, and a great wrap party.

Restaurants: Cha Bella, Elizabeth on 37th, Iocovozzi Gallery, The Community Kitchen, Leoci's, Local 11Ten, Sol, and Rocks on the Roof at the Bohemian

Sponsorship provided by J.T. Turner Construction and Lynch Associates Architects

Artist: Thomas Cook, Susan Laney, Daniel Smith, Shelley Smith (Co-Founder of event), Susan Laney, Kayne Lanahan  of The Music File and Co- Founder of the Savannah Stopover Music Festival, and a Salvador Dali donated by Kim Iocovozzi.

Printing/Publication by Creative Approach

Media Coverage by Jesse Blanco with "You'll Eat It and Like It" and South Magazine

Community Kitchen holds 40th Graduation Ceremony

On Tuesday afternoon the Community Kitchen held a ceremony for their 11 graduates of the 18 week culinary training program run by Chef Floyd.   This is the first graduating class that had the opportunity to work and train in the brand new community kitchen on-site at the food bank, and chef tells us that operations have improved immensely since moving into that space, thus making their task of producing 2,500-4,000 meals per day for the Kids Cafes a little easier.

Board Member and public figure, Jamie Deen, spoke to the graduates about the importance of "doing this for yourself" and shared stories from his childhood and how he got to where he is today.  

"I've learned everything just like y'all are- one day at a time, step by step, day by day."

Jamie also spoke about the importance of being involved in the community.  This is something that his mother always instilled in him which he truly embodies in his own life, and something that the 11 graduates know a lot about as well.  Every day, they are the ones preparing the meals for the Kids Cafe sites while at the same time, learning kitchen and food handling safety, ensuring ServSafe practices, and making sure the children they feed have healthy and delicious meals every day.

Chef Floyd & Brittany Johnson

Instructor Iris Holmes-McGraw and Marvin Ellis

Jamie congratulates a grad

After the presentation of the certificates, the students had the opportunity to reflect on what the program meant to them- emotions we shared freely amongst the family and everyone enjoyed a meal prepared by the graduates afterwards.

 

Hobart Mixer: Newest Addition to the Community Kitchen

One can only imagine the surprise and joy that Chef Floyd, his staff, and culinary students felt this morning when a Commercial Grade Hobart Counter Mixer arrived at the Second Harvest Food Bank and Community Kitchen!  This generous gift was made possible by John Van't Slot, a local representative and product tester for Hobart.

The new mixer is a much needed addition to the community kitchen team who prepare thousands of meals EACH day to be delivered and served at our 34 Kids Cafe sites.  Chef Floyd says "the Hobart mixer will allow us to prepare one of the kid's favorites, blueberry cobbler, in less than half the time it took with our old mixer (see picture below) and in one day instead of two!"  He also claimed that the bakers couldn't wait to get their hands on the mixer this morning- they were so excited they wanted to carry it in to the kitchen themselves and set it up immediately!

Many, many thanks to John and the Hobart community!

 

2nd Annual Tour d' Epicure SOLD OUT

Just one day after Kristin King appeared on WJCL/Fox 28 News to thank sponsors and participating restaurants, artists, and supporters, the Second Annual Tour d' Epicure in memory of Velouria Smith Proctor has sold out.  A big THANK YOU to our sponsors JT Turner Construction, Lynch Associates Architects, and Old Savannah Tours.

Watch WJCL/Fox 28 Interview

Featured Supporter of Second Harvest: Local 11Ten

In 2010, Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia touched 116,000 lives by distributing 8.1 million pounds of food and serving over 200,000 meals to children.  As we continues to grow with the needs of the 21 counties we serve, we are grateful and encouraged by the generosity and support of local establishments.

We would like to take a minute to honor and thank Local 11Ten for their continued participation in Second Harvest events and fund raisers and their eagerness to embrace our efforts to help end hunger.

Chef Brandy Williamson and GM Jamie Durrence make a great pair and lead their team at Local 11Ten (affectionately known simply as "Local")  in creating some of the most fresh and flavorful food in the Coastal Empire.  If you have not experienced their ever changing menu, be sure to visit soon!  In the words of one of Chef Brandy's quotes to live by:

One cannot think well, love well,
sleep well, if one has not dined well

We Met the Kresge Foundation Challenge Grant because of YOU!

We are excited to announce that we have met the Kresge Foundation Challenge Grant goal for 2010 and that we will indeed receive the $200,000 to complete our Capital Campaign for the Community Kitchen: Recipe for Hope. The Kresge Foundation awards grants to small, mid-size, and large nonprofit organizations in six fields of interest: health, the environment, community development, arts and culture, education, and human services. Working with their grantees, they endeavor to improve the life circumstances and opportunities for poor, disadvantaged and marginalized individuals, families, and communities.

In the words of Sebastian Kresge, “Giving away money is not an easy job,” Sebastian once observed. “Money alone cannot build character or transform evil into good; it cannot restore the influence and vitality of the home; neither can it maintain the valleys and plains of peace. Spent alone, it might as well stay in the vaults… It cries for full partnership with leaders of character and good will.”

Please stop by our new Community Kitchen at any time to see your gift at work!

Santa and Pizza for Kids Cafe Site

On Thursday, Dec. 16th, a number of Second Harvest volunteers, Board Members, and one very special guest paid a visit to the W.W. Law Community Center, one of the 34 Kids Cafe

sites that America's Second Harvest of Coastal GA serves.

More than 74,000 school-aged children are at risk for hunger in our area and more than 21,000 of these children live in Chatham County. America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia has been leading initiatives to reduce childhood hunger since the creation of Kids Cafe® in 1989. Kids Cafe® offers more than 2,000 hot, evening meals for children at-risk for hunger in Chatham and surrounding counties. Each child also receives homework assistance and tutoring to improve academic achievement. Many of these children also participate in cultural enrichment activities or team sports to help build positive social skills.

Board Members Volunteer to Ring the Salvation Army Bell

The Salvation Army has been one of Second's Harvest's member agencies for years and this is the second year that our board members have volunteered to "ring the bell" at one of their 40 red kettle locations across the city. Savannah's Salvation Army is hoping to raise upwards of $250,000 through its red kettles this year and money collected from local red kettles helps the Salvation Army feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and reach out to the community.

"This is the biggest fundraiser we do, and we do this to take care of the Salvation Army for the entire year." Michelle Dasher, program coordinator

Above: Board Members Jamie Deen and Barbie Lientz are all smiles

Below: An enthusiastic shopper eager to be the Salvation Army's youngest volunteers perhaps?