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On April 23, EATS (Eat Along the Street) comes to Philadelphia, bringing with it, a bevy of dynamic chefs who will Throwdown in a culinary contest to benefit two children's advocacy organizations; as well as a cherry-picked roster of the city's popular food trucks. Read more and if you're inclined, click on the press release, alson here on Slideshare.
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Behind the scenes at EATS is a dedicated team of volunteers, united by their love of children and a common desire to help those less fortunate. Founded by chef-restaurateur, Moon Krapugthong and kitchen designer, Judy Spielman, EATS aims to feed both body and mind through multicultural cuisine and education–whether at the table or in the classroom. Because of its shared mission, Children’s Village is an ideal partner. On top of their individual on-‐the-‐job responsibilities, these dedicated individuals have been hard at work securing sponsorships and auction items, as well as a drool-‐worthy roster of chefs and mobile food trucks—efforts aimed at making EATSPhilly 2013 a memorable event for attendees, participants and its beneficiaries. With April 23 in sight, the EATS team is becoming increasingly excited to share this labor of love with the community. If you’re looking for something fun—and tasty—to do that night, consider yourself booked. Just don’t forget to buy your tickets.
Tell us about Wat Bodd Voraditth… Wat Bodd Voraditth (WBV) is an orphanage in Anthong, Thailand, brought to Chef Moon’s attention by one of her employees, a few years ago. When Moon offered her a birthday gift, this young woman declined, and asked for a donation in her name to an orphanage in Thailand that she’d been supporting. Later that summer, while touring the country, Moon, accompanied by Judy, made a stop at WBV. It was love at first sight. After spending an extended period of time with the children, and touring the kitchen and the dormitories, it became clear to both that outside support was desperately needed. It wasn’t until they were back in the states, though, that they came up with the idea for EATS.
Judy Joins the Girls for Story Time at Wat Bodd Voraditth
Moon Krapugthong & Judy Spielman (L-‐R)
Children’s Village School-Ager
And Children’s Village... Located near Philadelphia’s Chinatown community, Children's Village is a nonprofit organization providing high-‐quality early childhood education to young children and educational enrichment to school-‐age children for families of all economic levels and diverse backgrounds. Most of the children enrolled with us are from low-‐income families and learning English as a second language. We strive to nurture “the whole child,” within the context of the family. We are committed to providing nutritious meals and snacks, as well as daily opportunities for physical activity. This dedication was the biggest attraction to Judy and Moon when they were seeking to identify a local beneficiary for EATS.
Why should people care about this particular charity event? At Children's Village, we have a heightened awareness regarding the nutritional challenges faced by children living in our city—an issue compounded by rising obesity statistics here as well. The more funding we can obtain to make a difference with the children we serve, and to help take our message to the larger community, the greater our impact. After all, an early care and education center is the perfect environment to foster lifetime habits of eating nutritious foods.
Why a food-‐centric fundraiser? Food is the perfect metaphor for nourishing the soul. The children at Wat Bodd Voraditth are just like children everywhere; they want hugs, and they want comfort. They want to feel clean and healthy, and mostly, to be taken care of. Sharing food is the ultimate symbol of hospitality.
How did the partnership between EATS and Children's Village come about? Children’s Village was introduced to EATS through Judy, who we'd hired to redesign our on-‐site commercial kitchen and storage area. Because our on-‐site kitchen prepares 230,000 nutritious meals and snacks for children annually, it struck Judy as an ideal way to elevate the EATS mission.
How influential are chefs who advocate for both children's and nutritional causes? Very. So many become celebrities, with enormous following across all traditional and social media platforms; their voices are heard and respected. Jaime Oliver is one example.
Why do you believe in supporting both local and global causes? It’s easy to keep benefits in our community, and there are many reasons to do so. But when we go outside our city limits, into other, less fortunate countries, it lets people know they are not alone. And, it reminds us as Americans, how lucky we are.
Can donors follow the renovations after the event? Updates will be made on Facebook, and on both the EATS and Children’s Village websites. We want donors to know that they’re supporting more than just kitchen equipment; they’re helping to build a food program, a garden, nutritional improvements, sustainability and independence for the school. In Thailand there are numerous culinary opportunities for those who have the funding. Our hope is that we’ll also be able to start a college endowment for those wishing to go to culinary/hospitality school.
How much money are you hoping to raise? As with any fundraising effort, we want to attract as many sponsors and guests as we possibly can. It’s still a tough economy, but we aren’t afraid to aim high. Currently our target is at least $50,000.
Is it possible to take a tour of Children’s Village? Certainly. (And we’d love it!) Simply reach out to Susan Frankel (215-931-0196; [email protected]) or Ellen Saint Clair (215-92-1737; [email protected]) to arrange a visit.
Artwork by Children’s Village Preschoolers
