Former Tandem restaurant proprietor and chef Caitlin Cullen is once more serving to feed those that are hungry, this time because the meals middle director for the Riverwest Food Pantry.
Cullen, who closed her north aspect restaurant in summer time after distributing 115,000 meals to individuals in want within the pandemic, began her new duties final week.
She is overseeing the entire pantry’s meals and wellness programming. For now, that features its meals market, which has a concentrate on well being schooling; collaborative meals meant to foster a sense of group; and the pantry’s 27,000-square-foot city hoop-house farm, which grows produce with out chemical compounds. Collectively, the programming is what the pantry calls Store, Feast, Develop.
These duties themselves can be rising, although, because the Riverwest Meals Pantry pursues a brand new, freestanding location that would come with a restaurant, with social goals.
RELATED:The Tandem chef who gave away 115,000 meals in the pandemic is giving away her restaurant
Particulars concerning the long-pursued, flagship middle for Riverwest Meals Pantry are nonetheless beneath wraps, however Govt Director Vincent Noth mentioned it might let the pantry mix its base of operations with the meals promote it now operates on the outdated St. Casimir Faculty and Gaenslen Faculty in Riverwest, in addition to having a industrial kitchen for the group meals and cooking demonstrations.
It additionally would have what he referred to as “the one lacking piece of the puzzle,” a meals social enterprise — a restaurant with goals past menu gadgets. Principally, the goal is constructing group whereas serving to people, Noth mentioned.
“How superb it might be if we may prop up social enterprise with a restaurant,” he mentioned.
Noth envisions offering marginalized younger adults with a two-year program that offers them jobs and steady housing. Riverwest Meals Pantry, the place the method is to offer greater than meals, additionally provides case administration and different sources.
“We’ve for a very long time been saying we wish to launch a meals enterprise,” Noth mentioned.
He mentioned the pantry wanted “somebody who loves the ability of meals to construct group” and may handle the operation of such an enterprise. And “anyone that’s actually excited by mentoring,” as effectively.
“We’re not going to search out that individual,” Noth had thought.
Enter Cullen. She realized of the opening when a stranger emailed to say the job description made her consider Cullen.
“Caitlin actually is somebody who uniquely occupies lots of that actual property,” Noth mentioned. “We’re actually enthusiastic about her becoming a member of our staff.”
Cullen initially opened the Tandem at 1848 W. Fond du Lac Ave. with the goal of serving to neighborhood youths achieve expertise that might make them larger eating places or different better-paying jobs.
Past offering employment, she helped staff discover locations to reside, open financial institution accounts and extra, former workers have mentioned.
Cullen mentioned one of many points of Riverwest Meals Pantry that appealed to her was the group’s consideration to the entire individual, resembling serving to with emergency housing.
The previous chef mentioned she’s wanting ahead to enlisting her community of Milwaukee-area cooks for cooking demonstrations. Lots of them who helped put together group meals via the Tandem within the first 12 months of the pandemic grew to become proficient at “how one can make low-cost, palatable, nutritious meals for individuals in want,” Cullen mentioned.
“I’m fairly excited to deliver a few of my associates to the desk,” she mentioned.
Riverwest Meals Pantry provides a mean of about 300,000 kilos of meals to greater than 19,000 individuals a 12 months. It primarily serves individuals within the 53212, 53211, 53217, 53202 and 53203 ZIP codes however will present meals to anybody.
Cullen’s publish is funded partially by a $1.6 million grant from the Milwaukee-based Dohmen Co. Basis. The grant was awarded to a number of nonprofit teams that concentrate on meals and wellness, meals high quality and stability applications.
Contact Carol at carol.deptolla@jrn.com or (414) 224-2841, or via the Journal Sentinel Food & Home page on Facebook. Observe her on Twitter at @mkediner or Instagram at @mke_diner.
