A South Florida celebrity chef is joining forces with local restaurants to help feed families struggling to put food on the table. Courtney Allen has more in this 7Spotlight.
Being part of the restaurant industry can be tough. But Chef Michael Schwartz is carving out a culinary legacy of his own in South Florida.
Michael Schwartz, chef & restaurant owner: “I felt like there was an opportunity to fill an itch that wasn’t that. That was more legitimately about food and hospitality. Miami’s been good to me.”
Michael has cooked up some of his best cuisine at two well-known restaurants in South Florida, Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, and Amara at Paraiso.
While he’s used to catering to people all over the world, his passion is supporting the community in the best way he knows how – with food!
Michael Schwartz, chef & restaurant owner: “We’re always pushing and striving to do more. And then giving back to the community is something that is important.”
A few years ago, Michael came across an organization called Rethink Food. It’s a non-profit that provides meals for families in local communities.
Popular restaurants like Amara collect donations from diners. Rethink Food then sends the money to smaller neighborhood restaurants that cook and provide ready-to-eat meals to community groups that serve homeless and low-income families.
Michael Schwartz, chef & restaurant owner: “So I think by everyone just doing their job, playing their small part, the machine works.”
At Amara, diners can choose to include a two percent donation to Rethink Food when they pay their checks.
That money goes to Le Jardin, a restaurant in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood.
Owner Myreille Jeanpierre and her employees prepare and package the meals several times a week.
Myreille Jeanpierre, owner of Le Jardin restaurant: “We deliver food four times a week. We make a weekly schedule, according to the written guidelines, as far as what we will serve them every week.”
The meals are then delivered to organizations like Miami Rescue Mission to help them continue feeding the community.
Anthony Perrone, food manager at the Caring Place & Miami Rescue Mission: “It’s nice to be able to meet the people that make the food for you, and they want to show what they’re doing by delivering it directly to us.”
Rescue Mission food manager Anthony Perrone says he is grateful to see these local restaurants stepping up to provide much-needed food to those who rely on the rescue mission for help.
Anthony Perrone, food manager at the Caring Place & Miami Rescue Mission: “They know that they can, this can be like their safe space, that they know they can come here and get a meal.”
After 6 years of working with Rethink Food, Myreille and Michael have experienced firsthand how important their efforts have been across South Florida.
Myreille Jeanpierre, owner of Le Jardin restaurant: “I feel it’s a privilege for us to serve the community going through Rethink.”
Rethink Food in South Florida has been able to provide 300,000 meals so far.
Michael believes their work is far from over, especially since they are now seeing that the demand for food is starting to outweigh the supply.
Michael Schwartz, chef & restaurant owner: Because I’ve been at the distribution centers, and they run out. You know, there’s no lack of need for this assistance.”
They hope more restaurants and businesses can rethink their commitments to the community and serve up a little help to those who need it most.
If you want more information about Rethink Food, click here.
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