Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1119718
association news Kafarakis Addresses CIA Graduates SFA president Phil Kafarakis delivered the keynote speech at The Culinary Institute of America's graduation ceremony at the New York campus on March 22. "Remember that success isn't just about power and money. Success is what you make of it," Kafarakis told the 2019 class of CIA graduates. "The Culinary Institute of America has put you on the path for a phenomenal future. With the education you received here, you'll be prepared to go and make your success almost any- where … Use everything you learned here to make a positive difference in all the things you do, and the rest really does take care of itself." Founded in 1946, the CIA is dedicated to develop- ing leaders in foodservice and hospitality. The nonprofit institution offers master's, bachelor's, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, food business management, hospitality manage- ment, culinary science, and applied food studies. Kafarakis invoked the long history of CIA and reminded the graduates they had big shoes to fill, say- ing, "A lot is riding on what you will do, but also how you will do it, given the many that have come before you and set the bar so high on what being a Culinary Institute graduate means. As much as it's all about you now, you will have to carry the legacy of others that make this day possible for you." —Arielle Feger SFA Helps Fight Hunger at City Harvest Mobile Market As part of Embrace Hunger Relief Month, Specialty Food Association employees teamed up with City Harvest to help distribute 13,500 pounds of fresh pro- duce to 300 households at City Harvest's Bed-Stuy Mobile Market, this April. SFA also partners with City Harvest to donate the leftover food from the Summer Fancy Food Show. The goal of City Harvest's Mobile Markets is to provide New York's underserved communities with the tools and knowledge to eat fresh and healthy. The mar- kets take place twice a month, in each of New York's five boroughs. Some even include cooking demonstrations where attendees can learn to make healthy meals. Though City Harvest employees help run the mar- kets, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization. "Last year, 6,093 volunteers attended 212 markets to help distribute over 2.9 million pounds of food," says Ashlyn Allen, volunteer services coordinator. "That is a lot of hard work, but especially, a lot of heart work. We appreciate the invaluable impact of our volunteers that truly help to make this work possible. We were founded by volunteers and they really are the fabric of our orga- nization to this day, over 35 years later." City Harvest helped start the food rescue move- ment in 1982 when a group of New Yorkers realized the city's food distribution system was broken and ineq- uitable. Today, City Harvest is New York City's largest food rescue organization, helping to feed the more than 1.2 million New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. In addition to the Mobile Markets, City Harvest puts on nutrition education classes, works with retailers, and partners with other nonprofit organiza- tions across New York City. —A.F. SFA President Phil Kafarakis is congratulated by CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan after his speech. SFA staff volunteers at City Harvest's Mobile Market. SUMMER 2019 27