The Neighbor Alliance is breaking in its new kitchen with some friendly competition.
A Food Pantry Spork Off cooking competition and ribbon-cutting took place March 29 at the Neighborhood Alliance site, 246 Washington Ave. in Elyria.
“We wanted to do something that would showcase the kitchen, bring in the community and have fun while doing it,” said Alicia Foss, CEO/president, Neighborhood Alliance. “A lot of what we do is very serious, and it’s important to add in a little fun when we’re talking about serving the community, because we have such a wonderful community and we’re thankful to be a part of it.”
Chef Sean Wright from the Foundry Kitchen & Bar in Elyria; Chef Michael Castro from Modern Elegance Chefs in Lorain; and Chef Angel Sanchez from Lorain along with their teams got the opportunity to test out the new kitchen by preparing several tasting dishes.
Each chef was partnered with a local community member who served as a sous chef.
Mayor Frank Whitfield served as the master of ceremonies for the event.
Each team had to use items selected by Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio that typically are found in a food pantry, such as canned, frozen and dry goods.
Chef Michael Castro along with sous chef Lauren Ksiazek, from the Lorain County Office on Aging, was the competition’s winning team.
Castro prepared a cumin rubbed flank steak, sweet potato purée, avocado salsa, gremolata and cilantro oil.
The Neighborhood Nutrition Kitchen was made possible by a $500,000 grant from Lorain County commissioners and $150,000 grant from the City of Elyria.
Other significant support came from the Stocker Foundation, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, The Norton Family Foundation and Meals on Wheels.
The Neighborhood Nutrition Kitchen will become a host site for the externship program with Lorain County Community College and the Culinary Arts Program.
The kitchen is expected to eliminate the waitlist for home delivered meals for home-bound seniors; provide 350,000, or more, nutritious home delivered meals annually by 2026; offer more nutritious meals for seniors, children and shelter residents that encompasses dietary restrictions, food sensitivities and cultural diversity; and provide nutritional meals for younger seniors, those age 60 and younger, who are not eligible for funding from the Older Americans Act as well as disabled, low-income individuals ages 50 to 60.
The Neighborhood Nutrition Kitchen is just one component of the organization’s six-phase capital project that began with the kitchen’s groundbreaking in April 2022.
“This kitchen is the tip of the iceberg and the starting point,” Foss said. “There’s a lot of work to be done, but I know that in the end, it will have a profound impact in the community, and that’s why we do what we do.”
Phase One of this project focused on the site of the former YMCA building located at 265 Washington Ave. in Elyria, which was donated to Neighborhood Alliance in 2020 after standing empty for 14 years.
This location will serve as the hub for all human services programming including Senior Home Delivered Meals, Help Me Grow Home Visiting, Help Me Grow Early Intervention, child care and Greater Lorain County community access.
Donations to the ongoing capital projects are needed and welcome.
Learn more at www.myneighborhoodalliance.org/building-renovation-project
