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  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] Giving Back: How You And The Food Community Can Help Struggling Families
  • Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:24:03 -0700


Giving Back: How You And The Food Community Can Help Struggling Families
Marcus Samuelsson Chef; Author, "New American Table"
Posted: March 14, 2011 08:28 AM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcus-samuelsson/giving-back-food-community_b_835141.html

Like many chefs, it is one of my priorities to give back, whether it's as a
UN Ambassador for the UNICEF TAP Project or by mentoring and employing
students through the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). There are
so many ways to make a real impact in supporting those in need related to
food, from large organizations like the World Food Program, Share Our
Strength or Feeding America to more local efforts, such as soup kitchens.

For centuries soup kitchens have been a way for local communities to offer a
way of support, both nutritional and emotional to their less lucky neighbors.
They are still a great and important way to contribute and offer help and I
encourage people to get involved in helping to feed their neighbors in need.
But these days I am also exploring ways of giving back that are both more
personal and professionally based, looking at ways of giving back that are
more about giving a hand up than a hand out. About creating economic
opportunities and chances for future growth, rather that simply helping in
the moment.

There has long been a debate in the aid community and in Africa about how to
most effectively help situations of poverty in developing nations and
underprivileged communities. Is it best to give direct and immediate aid in
the form of food and supplies or could it be better to take that same amount
of money and use it to invest in helping to build small business and give the
support needed to create a more stable future? What could the future look
like if communities had the support and financing to develop their
infrastructure and agriculture without the limitations of poverty? If instead
of simply offering countries food, you empowered them to create economies
that would allow them to sustain themselves and thrive.

I moved to Harlem six years ago. I've lived all over the world but Harlem is
very special to me and when I decided to open a restaurant near my home, I
didn't want it to be business as usual. I wanted to make sure that I was
giving as much back to the community as it has given to me. I wanted to build
economic opportunities for everyone in this neighborhood with my business,
from my restaurant to the guy at the newstand or the man on the corner. If I
had opened this restaurant in Soho or Chelsea no one would have thought
twice, but to bring this business and these jobs to Harlem is a big deal to
the community. We have hired 60 neighborhood residents to work at the Red
Rooster, many of whom had never worked in the hospitality industry before. We
have local musicians performing and much of the art on our wall is by amazing
artists who call Harlem home as well. The economic opportunities are not just
within the walls of our restaurant; they extend to the florist I've hired and
the guy who we buy some of our bread from. The numbers of people coming to
visit us has also caused a spike in business for others in the community,
from our neighboring restaurants to the guy who sells perfume across from us
on Lenox Avenue. We are creating opportunities not only for work, but also
creating a space where everyone is welcome and can gather, which is a Harlem
tradition that I hope we can revive and build upon. I am excited to have so
many locals as regulars in the restaurant who come by for lunch, dinner, or
sometimes just a coffee. And I'm also glad to bring wider attention and
interest to an often overlooked part of the city.

Finding creative and effective ways to simultaneously give back and
economically empower people is something that is increasingly Important. Not
everyone can open a business and directly create jobs in the way that we have
at Red Rooster Harlem. But everyone does make dozens of economic decisions
every day from where you buy your morning coffee, birthday cards, school
supplies or go out to dinner. I encourage you to think about where you are
spending your money and consider spending some of it in local businesses.
Studies show that for every $100 spent in locally owned or independent
stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other
spending. Imagine the economic impact it could have in our neighborhoods if
we dedicated just a portion of our monthly expenditures to buying local.
These are conversations we have every day both in the restaurant and on my
website marcussamuelsson.com and these are ideas, issues and discussions that
I look forward to having on FoodRepublic.com.







  • [Livingontheland] Giving Back: How You And The Food Community Can Help Struggling Families, Tradingpost, 03/14/2011

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