Top Chicago Chefs To Raise Funds To Feed Ukraine
Read about the 3/16 charity dinner, plus some awesome community jobs
Do Well, Do Good: Chef Fundraiser to Feed Ukraine
As I’ve said before, I try to avoid the mosh pit of politics in Local Food Forum, but this is something that’s way to big to avoid: I stand with Ukraine. And so do several of our region’s top chefs — many of them true believers in local food — who are donating their time and talent to a fundraiser, Chicago Chefs Cook for Ukraine, that will be held Wednesday, March 16 starting 6 p.m. in the Navy Pier Ballroom.
All money raised by the event will go directly to World Central Kitchen, the amazing organization run by Chef José Andrés that rushes to disaster areas around the world to provide sustenance to people in dire situations. (If only there were more leaders like José Andrés and fewer Vladimir Putins and his apologists among us in the U.S.)
The fundraiser is presented by Lifeway Foods, the Chicago-area kefir company founded and run by Ukrainian refugees who fled the Soviet Union. Hosts include Chefs Tony Priolo (Piccolo Sogno) and Sarah Stegner (Prairie Grass Cafe), Green City Market (GCM), and GCM Board Members Darren Gest and Eda Davidman. A full list of participating chefs is forthcoming.
Tickets for the event are $150 with VIP levels available. Read the organizers’ description below and click the button to get your ticket.
_______________
Join your favorite Chicagoland chefs for a delicious and one of a kind evening dedicated to raising funds for World Central Kitchen's work benefiting Ukrainian refugee families in need of a nutritious meal.
Guests will enjoy dishes from our city's greatest chefs as well as beverages donated by Breakthru Beverage Group.
Sponsors and VIP guests will enjoy exclusive access and early admission to the event at 5:00 p.m.
The event is hosted by Chef Tony Priolo, Chef Sarah Stegner, Darren Gest and Eda Davidman, and Green City Market.
100% of the event proceeds will benefit World Central Kitchen. Thank you for covering your Eventbrite processing fees to ensure we maximize our support of Ukrainian refugees.
Green City Market is proud to sponsor this event and to facilitate the event operations as we believe everyone deserves access to nourishing food.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs With Local Nonprofits
We are always happy to share job opportunities provided by our local food community members. I post many of them when I stumble on them, but please feel free to send your job info directly to bob@localfoodforum.com.
The job descriptions below are all from the hiring organizations.
________________
Northeast Illinois FarmLink coordinator
The Liberty Prairie Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation located in Grayslake, Illinois. They are nationally recognized as a leader in developing and supporting enterprises that build and strengthen our local food system while enhancing the natural landscape. They promote the integration of healthy ecosystems and the vibrant human communities they support.
Their job description follows.
___________________
Jim Kurczodyna, who has served us wonderfully over the last two years, is about to leave us to concentrate full time on his family’s homesteading.
So we’re looking for a new part-time FarmLink Coordinator to help us make land access connections in northeast Illinois (with a particular focus on conservation-minded farmers and landowners) through our Northeast Illinois FarmLink program - www.illinoisfarmlink.org.
If you know of anyone who knows a good amount about farming and has a passion for helping farmers and landowners, please share this email with them. Click the button below for the job description.
We’re open to the person working remotely most of the time, but the person should live in northeast Illinois and be able to come to our office fairly easily for meetings as needed.
Coordinator of Special Projects
The Just Food Initiative of the Fox Valley, located in Batavia, Illinois, is seeking a permanent part-time Coordinator of Special Projects. The organization works to promote food justice through education, advocacy, and community. They teach people what is in their foods and offer alternatives that help them to eat clean, green, and healthy, and also teach them how to read food labels.
This August 7, they are hosting their first farmers' market on the southeast side of suburban Aurora. The area is a food desert and its population is mostly Blacks, Hispanics, and Refugees, groups that will be represented among the market’s vendors.
The job description follows.
_______________
IMMEDIATE JOB OPENING!
PERMANENT PART-TIME
COORDINATOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS
Perfect for stay-at-home mom… dedicated young adult… young active senior.
Requires experience more than degree… 20 hours / week… amiable colleagues… flexible schedule
Enjoyable opportunity and meaningful leadership in local, growing not-for-profit mission addressing issues of food injustice, especially for the economically poor. Maintain and supervise established projects, help design new projects, work in local community partnerships and networks.
Candidate must
• be willing to work amiably with the Fox Valley community's diversities and challenges
• be highly organized and self-motivated
• function effectively with minimal supervision
• have teaching experience in grades 5 to 12, enjoy working with youth
• know how to organize others, especially volunteers, for maximum results, work satisfaction
• possess basic computer and internet skills
• be creative, resilient, persevering, committed
• be capable of working as part of a TEAM, with STRONG INTER-TEAM COMMUNICATION
• be reliably available 6 times / year for Saturday staff meetings
• be available 20 hours / week, not laden with other priorities
Knowledge of and dedication to food injustice issues an enormous plus. Experience in growing food a plus. Bi-lingual ability a large plus. Work is at home, in Batavia common office, in the community.
Immediate opening. Hourly wages.
Contact Cindy at The Just Food Initiative (630) 383-1357 or at info@jfi-foxvalley.org.
Last Tuesday (March 2), Local Food Forum highlighted the nonprofit Experimental Station’s job posting for a Link Up Illinois farmers market program manager. Today, we’re sharing two more job openings with the organization. Experimental Station, located in the Woodlawn community just south of University of Chicago, runs the 61st Street Farmers Market, Link Up Illinois and Blackstone Bicycle Works.
________________
Communications and Marketing Associate
As our Communications and Marketing Associate, you will:
Design publicity and fundraising materials, reports, flyers, newsletters
Design program promotional and other materials
Maintain consistent branding across all programs
Maintain an up-to-date website reflecting all Experimental Station programs
Maintain multiple social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) across all Experimental Station programs
Work with program staff to create engaging social media posts and events pages across multiple platforms
Maintain the Experimental Station events calendar and promote events across many media platforms
Document Experimental Station program activities and events (photos/video)
Preferred skills and experience:
Ability and willingness to collaborate and work with a team
Two years experience as a graphic designer (either freelance or for a company)
Demonstrated experience developing marketing materials
Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written, verbal, and visual)
Degree or work experience in visual arts and design a plus
Mac OS X, Drupal, Google analytics, PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator, Mailchimp, Canva
Strong organizational skills
Enjoy collaborating with a team
This is a full-time, staff role with an annual salary of $43-$48k, based on experience. It comes with 50% employer contributed health and dental insurance, and paid time off.
Strong candidates will have experience in graphics design, project management, and office administration. Candidates who have ample experience in public engagement and marketing are encouraged to apply.
Experimental Station is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people with a wide range of skills and experiences to apply. Find the full job description here. To apply, fill out our form.
_______________
Blackstone Bicycle Works Manager
As our Blackstone Bicycle Works manager, you will:
Be a strong mentor, leader, and motivator of multigenerational groups (youths and peers)
Possess strong project management skills
Expose youth participants to real-world employment opportunities using bicycles for rich learning experiences
Support bicycle advocacy
Develop partnerships in order to support the sustainability of the program
Preferred skills and experience:
Strong candidates will have significant youth instruction and small business (bicycle-based preferred) experience, as well as basic knowledge of bicycle mechanics. Experience teaching bicycle mechanics is a plus. The Program Manager will manage a multi-dimensional program that will require strong organizational skills and leadership ability to be successful.
This is a full-time, staff role with an annual salary of $50-$55k, based on experience. It comes with 50% employer contributed health and dental insurance, and paid time off.
Experimental Station is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people with a wide range of skills and experiences to apply. Find the full job description here. To apply, fill out our form.