Chapter Activity

Celebrating Childhood Nutrition Day

ACF members and chapters around the nation celebrated Childhood Nutrition Day on or around October 16.

Thanksgiving in the Philippines

Chef David Wasson, CCC, CCE, celebrated Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines on October 25 and provided a meal for over 250 malnourished children in the district of Barangay Garciaville in Tagum City.

Chef Wasson worked with his crew, including Madam Helen Grace Reclusado, Baranay Healther Worker, Sir Anasco Basilio, Purok Chairman, and a teacher from one of the local universities.

Since the children are not used to eating much hot food, they had to prepare a dish easy for them to digest; Arroz Caldo, similar to Chinese Congee, is considered a medicinal meal to the people there.

Chef Wasson also spoke to the crowd and officials about the need for regular feeding for these children to grow up healthy, and he introduced the idea of food banks in each district.

Seven Courses Prepared by Seven ACF Chefs

ACF Southern California Inland Empire Chefs & Cooks Association and the Collins College of Hospitality Management held a Seven Course Wine Dinner benefitting Child Health & Nutrition Programs in America. From left to right: Dr. Jeff Brown, CEC, CCE, Chef and Child chairman with the “Magnificent Seven,” Robert Baradaran, David Avalos, Ricardo Santana, Gerald Egger, Bobby Moghaddam, CEC, CCE, Luis Martinez, CEC, Miguel Jamies.

ACF Jersey Shore Chefs Association

ACF Jersey Shore Chefs Association held Childhood Nutrition Day at the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club in Newark with “Hit a Home Run for Nutrition.” The four interactive stations were also staffed by Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Shop Rite, and Garden State Urban Farms. Children took home fresh produce, discounted coupons, healthy snacks and tips.

Fruit-and-vegetable Carving

Chefs from ACF Professional Chefs Association of South Jersey performed fruit-and-vegetable carving demonstrations to students at Dawes Avenue School in Somers Point, N.J. to encourage healthy eating. With the leftover fruit, the chefs made fruit salad for the students. The chefs felt that allowing us to show the students what chefs can do with fruits and vegetables would not only set an example for eating right but also inspire the young people to want to learn more about culinary arts.

Stuff a Bus

ACF High Sierra Chapter proudly donated over $300 in toys to assist KOZZ Radio Station with “Stuff A Bus” for the Salvation Army.

From left to right: DJ Smith, KOZZ morning show, Chef Joe Eidem, CEC, AAC, Chef & Child Chair; Chef Fred Wright, Vice President, ACFHSCA; Chef Gary Oien, President, ACFHSCA; DJ McClain, KOZZ morning show.

Hit a Home Run for Nutrition Hawaii

ACF Kona Kohala Chefs Association served a healthy breakfast at all the bases of “Hit a Home Run for Nutrition” to 300 fifth grade girls from GEMS-Girls Exploring Math and Science. At first base, the girls picked up their scorecards and a fruit kabob; at second base, they choose from 4 cereal selections—4 grams of sugar or less/serving; at third base, 2% milk or yogurt for their cereal; and at home plate, they were served a small piece of corn, ham and cheese frittata.

When they finished eating their breakfast, chairs and mats were in “the outfield”, the girls came to pitcher’s mound and picked up their prizes: a jump rope, a nutrition hand-out age appropriate, and a small piece of dark chocolate.

Following the breakfast, there were three 60 minute workshops entitled: The Art and Science of Food: Discover the delicious connections among nutrition, math, cooking and science.

Connecticut Chefs Association

The Connecticut Chefs Association had an Empty Bowls fundraiser on Saturday October 24th. Local chefs and potters donated soup and bowls to raise money for Foodshare in Greater Hartford.

They are partnering with Foodshare and the Asylum Hills Boys and Girls Club Kids Café. Kids Café is one way the Chef and the Child of Connecticut is partnering to solve the problem of childhood hunger in the greater Hartford area. The program provides free, prepared, nutritious food for hungry children in their after school program.

They are also involved with teaching nutrition education to the children 4 times a year. The children come to the college and learn to cook healthy foods with the help of the chefs and student culinarians. More Photos

Local Elementary Schools

Chef Steven Miller, CEC, CCA, of ACF New York Wine Country Chefs, met with the cafeteria staff at a local elementary school in Ithaka, N.Y. in September to discuss their menus for October. Chef Miller suggested that local and fresh produce should be incorporated into the upcoming menu offerings. They then worked together in the cafeteria kitchen on fresh produce, including knife skills and suggestions on how to braise, roast and sauté the produce.

ACF Chesapeake Chefs Association

ACF Chesapeake Chefs Association held a fundraiser for The Lighthouse Shelter Foundation on Oct. 26 in Annapolis, Md. The local chapter provided 20 guest chefs from the area to donate time and food for the project.

Fall Festival in Sayville

ACF Long Island Chapter held a Chef & Child nutrition event at the Fall Festival in Sayville, Long Island on Oct. 25. She was helped by sixth graders in making turkey chili.

ACF Jersey Shore Chefs Association

In a partnership with the Foodbank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties, the chapter chefs make use a warehouse to present five different 20 minute seminars to 100 fourth grade students from five schools around the two counties.

Two of the seminars are held by the USDA and focus on proper understanding of the new Food Guide Pyramid and exercise. The seminars held by chefs feature vegetable and fruit carving led by Ben Ross; healthy fresh fruit and low fat yogurt breakfast smoothies led by Toms River Schools Food Service Director; and showing of “What You Eat…It’s Up To You” led by Phil Cragg, CEC, CCE, AAC. At the conclusion of the seminars, the culinary students at the Foodbank, under the guidance of Ray Cattley, CEC, prepare a healthy wrap for lunch.

After this, the culinary students get ready to prepare and serve a meal for the Boys & Girls Club of Asbury Park in the afternoon. At the same, Tom Yanisko, CEC, AAC, is on site at the Jane Addams Day Care Center to prepare and serve lunch. Both meals were prepared with USDA commodities.

The week before, Maura Zafarana, CEC, CCE, had her students of the Freehold Boro High School culinary program prepare USDA commodities to be packaged and frozen for donation to the Second Helpings program run by the Foodbank.

Middle Tennessee Chapter

The Middle Tennessee Chapter celebrated Childhood Nutrition Day with “Hit a Homerun for Nutrition” at the H.G. Hill Middle School in Nashville, Tenn. The event was a huge success. More

Tucson Meet Yourself

ACF Chefs Association of Southern Tucson hosted Childhood Nutrition Day events that took place during the Tucson Meet Yourself, October 9–10, in Tucson, Ariz. Schools throughout the city participated in the weekend festivities and celebrated numerous ethnic cuisines. High school and college students competed in an iron-chef-style challenge, where teams chose an ethnic or cultural theme that reflected their heritage and prepared a two-course meal. The menus were judged on presentation, nutritional value, taste, texture and reflection of cultural heritage themes by local chefs, celebrities and dieticians. More Photos

Hit a Home Run for Childhood Nutrition

EHOVE students “Hit a Home Run for Childhood Nutrition” during lunch hours on October 16 in Milan, Ohio. This event was a joint effort between the EHOVE Career Center, Sandusky Bay Area Chef’s Association, SKILLS USA, Schmidt Farms, Toft’s Diary, Myers Cider Mill and Orchard, and The Dole Company.

First base was a vote on the favorite carved pumpkin celebrating the Farm to School Program and was hosted by SKILLS USA and Schmidt Farms. Students and parents were able to pick up nutritional pumpkin recipes at this base.

Second base was a garde manger demonstration presented by the Culinary Arts department. Healthy fruit recipes were also passed out.

Third base was hosted by Myers Cider Mill and Orchard. Fresh cider and apples, as well as apple recipes, were available at this base.

Finally, at home base, samples of Dole fruit cups or fruit smoothies were provided by the Sandusky Bay Area Chefs Association, ACF. Cash donations were accepted for a local bank.

ACF Windy City Chapter

On October 20, 2009, Afterschool Matters Culinary Program hosted the American Culinary Federation for a culinary presentation in conjunction with Chef & Child.

Chef Linda Rosner, CEC, CHE, president of the Windy City Chapter, and Chef Tonie Houke were the guest chefs for the day. The students were instructed as to how to prepare and serve roasted vegetable lasagne, as well as how to make vinaigrette for their salad—full of healthy ingredients.

This activity is sponsored by the ACF and allows chefs to promote, teach, and be involved with the youth around the country. Lebanon Lutheran Church is the site for Afterschool Matters Culinary Apprenticeship taught by Chef Gloria D. Hafer.

This program is geared for youth, ages 14–20 years of age. Studies have found that the after school hours are a crucial time in which students, if not given direction, may find themselves in unsafe activities. By providing these activities, students are taught soft skills necessary to pursue careers and jobs in the different fields that are offered. More Photos

Palm Beach County Proclamation

At the Board of County Commissioners meeting on October 6, 2009, Commissioner Marcus (left) presented a proclamation to Donald Sedivy Jr. (center) and Eminely Rivera (right) declaring October 16, 20009 as “National Childhood Nutrition Day” in Palm Beach County.

Chef and Child Programs

Need an idea for an awareness activity to implement in your community? Check out our Programs section.

Let Us Know

Please e-mail us to let us know what type of awareness you generated in your community. Please include any details or photos that we can feature on the Web site to show the impact of the activities.