The HeART of Food Event
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Taller Puertorriqueno IncCooks Who Care joined Taller Puertorriqueño to create children's art-inspired dishes to support arts
$840
raised by 15 people
$2,000 goal
Chefs are inspired by art made by students
Chef Kurt Evans from South Restaurant commented on his experience and it was touching to hear that he could meet in person the young man who inspired his dish. Hear from him yourself.
"Tonight’s event at @tallerpr to generate awareness for the need for creativity in inner-city schools. I had the task of creating a dish out of William Quijano at work. Age 12 William was inspired by the Taino symbols that represent his ancestors. He was learning about self-portrait and decided to paint himself with the Coqui, and as such, a symbol of Puerto Rican identity. His art inspired me to make Mofongo a national dish of Puerto Rico, this dish is made up of fried plantains, garlic, and chicharron (I used chicken skins). I finished my dish with plantain chips, chicken skins & a seafood sofrito espuma. #cookswhocare#heartofthearts"
“The HeART of Food: Supporting Children’s Creativity”
Where you live determines a lot:
- Where you'll go to school
- What kind of education you’ll receive
- Your chances of living above the poverty line
We care about neighborhoods beyond our own. We want to lift the gates that separate us by getting involved in the neighborhood Taller Puertorriqueño has been serving for more than 40 years - Fairhill, in North Philadelphia. In Fairhill, more than 60% of neighbors live below the poverty line, and approximately 40% of students do not graduate from high school.
About Taller...Bright Future are Build Here.
Taller is on a mission to transform Fairhill by creating opportunities for neighbors to have access to the arts - access that people in low-income neighborhoods rarely have. They offer art classes, after-school programs and summer camps for students, and gallery space and cultural activities that are open to the public. Taller recently built one of the most beautiful arts and culture centers we have ever seen in the middle of this at-risk community, showing that they are invested and there to stay. Now they need to raise money to expand their programming to bring more local students through their doors. You can be a part of this change they are creating.
Sponsor 1 student for $25
On Sunday, May 6 we joined Taller Puertorriqueño in hosting “The HeART of Food” - a fundraising event to support their mission. At this event, a group of generous Philadelphia chefs shared their talent for food by creating dishes inspired by children’s works of art for our Chef Competition. The results were as inventive as they were delicious. The students in attendance were amazed by how the chefs were able to use their creativity to make such beautiful results. Even though many don’t realize it, chefs are artists too - preparing food is their creative outlet and they value the access to creative education that they receive. Without it, most chefs would not be where they are today.
Fact: The arts are motivating. Schools with high involvement in arts programming have only 4% drop out rates, even if they have a lower socioeconomic status. But peers at schools with lower arts participation, have a dropout rate of 22%. With art as a part of their lives, students are 2x more likely to succeed in school and more likely to graduate from college. (According to Navigator: Facts & Figures, Americans for the Arts)
When you sponsor 1 student for $25
- You inspire kids to stay in school
- You light their creative fire
- You increase their chances for success
Distressed communities can be improved with investment from people who care. Taller makes this happen every day in Fairhill and beyond. Connect to this neighborhood with us. Help us meet our specific goal of giving more students access to the programs that Taller Puertorriqueno provides by supporting this online campaign. We can make a change in this community together!
Donate $5 to keep art supply rooms full.
- Support teachers who spend on average $500 per year to ensure students have supplies.
- Provide a foundation for a better future.
- Give students a chance to learn to express themselves positively, even when their schools and neighborhoods can’t provide them with the resources they need to pursue their dreams.
Share your heart for the well-being of others. Give $5 for art supplies to be purchased and keep the classrooms at Taller Puertorriqueño filled with creative wares. Tag 5 others to do the same and watch the paints, pencils and paper grow into a mountain of materials together. Keep the tools for a positive future in Taller students’ hands.
Fact: “The Education Market Association says that virtually all teachers wind up paying out of pocket for supplies, and it’s not chump change, either. On average, most spent nearly $500 last year, and one in 10 spent $1,000 or more. All told, a total of $1.6 billion in school supply costs is shifted from parents — or, increasingly, from cash-strapped districts — onto teachers themselves.”
Over the years, Taller has served more than 5,000 students: providing tutoring, after-school enrichment, and art & performance classes, filling in the gaps in creative education left by years of budget cuts to Philadelphia schools.
Lives are being changed in Fairhill. Taller Puertorriqueño gives their community something special - the opportunity for a new life inspired by the arts. You can be a part of building this positive future for many deserving Philadelphia school children. This fundraising event is a collaboration between Cooks Who Care and Taller Puertorriqueño, and we invite you to join us.
Contact:
Maria Campbell, CEC, MBA/Event Coordinator/Founder Cooks Who Care
chefmaria@cookswhocareinspire.com
or
Dr. Carmen Febo San Miguel, M.D., Taller’s Executive Director
cfebo@tallerpr.org