By Diana Brement, JTNews Correspondent
Jewish Family Service’s emergency services department handles more than food. It also gives out emergency grants to the local community, with roughly 70 percent going toward housing assistance. So when six Seattle chefs donated expertise, time and ingredients for the “Taste of Elegance in the Courtyard” benefitting Homeless To Renter (H2R) on Aug. 21 at Temple Beth Am in Seattle, this year’s intake doubled the rent assistance money available, according to JFS’s Carol Mullin.
At the event, the chefs demonstrated their selected dishes, explaining techniques and answering questions, and prepared a four-course dinner and appetizers for 110 guests.
Dylan Giordan, pictured here, of Seattle sister restaurants Serafina and Cicchetti, did a cooking demonstration, as did Zach King of Purple Café & Wine Bar, William Leaman of Bakery Nouveau and Phyllis Rosen of Catering by Phyllis. Karen Binder of Madison Park Café and Henry Gordon of Balabuste Catering also cooked. Frank Michiels of Eight Bells Winery brought wine to taste. Guests came from Temple De Hirsch Sinai, Congregation Beth Shalom, Temple Beth Am and Jewish Family Service, which administers the program.
H2R started in 2004 when Temple Beth Am hosted Tent City 3 and volunteers learned that upfront costs of first/last month and security deposits are a major barrier for working poor families seeking housing. H2R supports families with children and has assisted 504 people since its inception. This fundraiser, the most successful to date, will allow assistance to 15–20 additional families. Photo: Peter Schnurman