Sonoma Family Meal Urgently Needs Skilled Kitchen Help & More — Providing Nutritious, Chef-Made Food for Families Distressed by Recent Wildfires

All Photos courtesy of Sonoma Family Meal Volunteer Deborah Smith 

Heather Irwin, the most recognized voice in the food and hospitality media world of Sonoma County — certainly one of the most read and respected restaurant writers in the Bay Area, brilliantly created the nonprofit Sonoma Family Meal to bring families displaced by the October 2017 wildfires together with hundreds of chefs who desperately wanted to help.

Since Oct. 15th this outstanding new grassroots group, spearheaded by the unstoppable Heather and her dedicated team of volunteers has served more than 24,000 meals made by some of the Bay Area’s best chefs, packed up and ready to take home for anyone who asks.

 

What started as a simple plan to hand out prepared meals donated by renowned restaurants like Single Thread in Healdsburg, Two Birds One Stone in Napa and San Francisco’s Aster has now turned into a full-on professional cooking operation with a staff of more than 20.

Sonoma Family Meal values great food and since launching has such delicious dishes as served vegan tofu masala, ahi tuna with farro, stuffed acorn squash. All meals are made with ingredients donated by local farmers and ranchers, much of it organic and prepared by local chefs.

The mission of Sonoma Family Meal remains to feed families distressed from Sonoma County natural disasters by  providing nourishing, healthy, dignified, sustainably-sourced chef-made meals which are pre-packaged for 4-6 people and served to-go.

Sonoma Family Meal primarily sources from local ranchers and farmers, healing our  community through food.

Residents are facing homelessness, financial insecurity, temporary housing without adequate food preparation facilities, and the burden of feeding friends and family rehoused in single family dwellings.

Thousands of Sonoma County residents are impacted and Sonoma Family Meal creates a food safety net for an un-served population.  

Sonoma Family Meal's greatest need is for skilled kitchen help but there are other ways to help out if you don't have a food handler's license. 

We're so immensely fortunate to have so many caring people in our community giving their all to ease the ongoing challenges of friends and neighbors. We all know someone impacted by this natural disaster. Every dollar counts when it comes to providing ongoing nourishment for those most impacted, please join me in donating here: https://www.gofundme.com/sonomafamilymeal

Two of Sonoma County chef Mark Stark of the Stark Group's top chefs are currently running the kitchen. They need more support.

Though there has been an abundance of volunteers during the past few weeks — the flow has started to dwindle as people get back to their lives and the program must now recruit.

Sonoma Family Meal intakes volunteers on line at signup.com. There is a link on the website for volunteering and donations:  sonomafamilymeal.org. 

Please also see this grassroot organization's Facebook Page, clicking here.  

Volunteer positions are:

 

*Skilled Kitchen Help: must have professional kitchen experience

 

*Food Packagers

 

*Drivers who transport food from the kitchen to the distribution site.

 

*Food Loaders (must be able to lift boxes into vehicles) 

 

*Family Meal Distributors: hospitality minded individuals who work the front line. Interact with clients and give out food. 

 

More detailed job descriptions and specifics are on signup.com

 

Meals on Wheels Kitchen

30 Kawana Springs Road

Santa Rosa

just off Santa Rosa Ave.

 

Distribution (client pick-up site)

Empire College back parking lot

3035 Cleveland Ave.

Santa Rosa

Just south of Piner Rd.