ALGONQUIN COLLEGE
Culinary students serve up kindness by preparing 2,000 meals for the Ottawa Food Bank

Algonquin College learners in the Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Food Science program volunteered their time during their Mid-Term Break Week on Feb. 26 to prepare 2,000 meals for the Ottawa Food Bank in partnership with Tablée Des Chefs: The Solidarity Kitchen - Next Generation Edition project. The prepared meals will feed vulnerable people in the Ottawa area who are seeking emergency food assistance.  

To make 2,000 portions, the team used a total of 20kg of pork, 8 boxes of legumes, 8kg of oats, 22kg of potatoes, 15 kg of liquid eggs, 20 kg of shredded cheese, 8 boxes of tomatoes, and 96kg of vegetables. The efforts took a full day of assembly-line style preparation, with 18 learners and 6 faculty dedicating their time to help. 

"The collaborative efforts of all those involved in yesterday's food production of approximately 2,000 meals are truly commendable. La Tablée des Chefs' and the student and faculty volunteers demonstrated remarkable kindness and generosity.  I believe their contribution positively impacted the community," said Professor and Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Food Science Program Coordinator David Fairbanks, who facilitated the logistics of this initiative.  

La Tablée des Chefs' mission is to feed and educate fighting food insecurity and educating young people about their food autonomy as budding culinary experts. Since its start in 2002, the organization has distributed over 13 million cooked meals and educated more than 45,000 youth through its various programs.  

The Solidarity Kitchen - Next Generation Edition project mobilizes more than 500 culinary students each year. Since its beginning, the project has allowed culinary students to prepare and distribute more than 1.5 million meals to Quebec and Ontario food banks. 

The meals prepared by students today for the Ottawa Food Bank will make a dent in fighting food insecurity and will equip them with knowledge and skills about food autonomy that they can take with them into the working world.