USA. HMSHost Foundation has made a US$20,000 grant to Los Angeles-based non-profit organisation Peace4Kids.
The grant will help support young people in south Los Angeles who are in transition from foster care. A particular focus will be placed on the culinary arts and the food service industry.
A presentation event took place at the HMSHost-operated Starbucks at Los Angeles International Airport’s Terminal 6 this week. HMSHost Foundation handed over a cheque to Peace4Kids (pictured immediately below).
Peace4Kids’ culinary arts training programme aims to help young people develop leadership skills in the food industry using innovative techniques. The organisation has created a ‘mobile village kitchen’, or MVK, which is a 32ft trailer built to house an industrial classroom kitchen.
The trailer has expandable walls that turn the kitchen into a 700sq ft learning space. It is used in south Los Angeles to teach young people in foster care about food preparation, food ecosystems, food equity, and nutrition.
“Training in the MVK imparts foundational kitchen skills that can translate into hospitality careers,” HMSHost Foundation and Peace4Kids said. “Foster youth also build an essential part of their cultural identity through experiences on the MVK, which they then share with the community at events and through other media channels.”
Goals of the MVK include:
- Engaging a core team of 12 teenagers at a time in food equity training, food preparation, nutrition, and leadership skills.
- Serving a minimum of 75 youths (ages 10–19) annually with MVK programming.
- Providing 2,500 meals annually to youth in foster care in south Los Angeles.
- Hosting a minimum of two yearly events to highlight the MVK, the power of food, and the impact on the foster care community.
- Producing videos that highlight the impact of the MVK on the community, such as the one below.
HMSHost Foundation President Paul Mamalian commented: “[We are] honoured to present this grant to Peace4Kids in support of the important work this group does for foster youths in Los Angeles.
“HMSHost Foundation aims to prepare future generations through learning and developing valuable career skills. This grant to Peace4Kids will assist individuals preparing for life after foster care to do just that with culinary training that can help them succeed in today’s thriving restaurant industry.”
Peace4Kids Executive Director Zaid Gayle said: “This investment from HMSHost Foundation ensures that we can more broadly impact the health outcomes of youths in foster care.
“Beyond just educating them on nutrition and food equity, this opportunity also creates a space where our teens gain access to food industry careers that are essential for their independence.”
Peace4Kids is a volunteer supported organisation that focuses on catering to the social and emotional needs of young people who have experienced trauma in the foster care system. Those in Peace4Kids programmes gain access to healthy meals, mentorship opportunities, school supplies, and leadership development resources.
HMSHost Foundation says its mission is to fight poverty with food, shelter, education, and workforce development. The HMSHost charitable offshoot recently celebrated its second anniversary by holding its annual Invitational Golf Classic, raising over US$200,000 for charities.
It also recently raised US$30,000 for local organisations in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina at a charity golf tournament at the Grandover Gold Resort.
HMSHost Foundation also announced last month that it is supporting Washington-based chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen in its Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.
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