Teens in Turlock are taking over restaurants after hours. Here’s why.
Restaurant kitchen pots are sizzling after business hours as rising food insecurity motivates Turlock teens to cook for their community.
The teens are a part of a club at Turlock High School called Kitchens for Change. So far, three of the city’s restaurants are participating, offering students a kitchen past closing hours, their head chef and the opportunity to raise funds for food insecurity.
The idea comes as more families are experiencing food insecurity amid the pandemic, said Elias Rabine, founder of Kitchens for Change and a senior at THS. More than 3 million Californians went without sufficient food during the first three months of the pandemic, a 22% increase from the pre-pandemic rate, reports the University of California, Los Angeles.
But the California Association of Food Banks says the food crisis is much worse, estimating that 8 million people (20%) in the state don’t know where their next meal will come from. And in Stanislaus County, the food insecurity rate of 26% surpasses the state average and appears to be steadily climbing, the organization further reports.
“This is the way,” Rabine said. “Through cooking (and) food.”
Students generate funds for the cause by selling food tickets, where they are able to make a profit that goes toward addressing food insecurity. Once club members sign up for an event, they are guided to cook by the head chef of the restaurant they’re at that evening.
After they’re done cooking, they package the meal and the customer can come by the restaurant to pick it up that day at a designated time.
At this time, the participating restaurants are Bistro 234, First & Main and La Mo Restaurant in downtown Turlock. After the event, the club uses the money to help buy food and at times cook for those facing food insecurity, often donating to Westside Ministries and the Turlock Gospel Mission.
Leroy Walker is the owner of Bistro 234 and First & Main, and Rabine’s stepfather. Walker said when Rabine approached him with the idea, he wanted to take advantage of everything that he had to offer to help his stepson and his community.
“We have the ability to have this type of space on Sundays and Mondays repurposed,” he said. “Plus… we have an insight to get certain things done.”
All participants involved, including the chefs, volunteer their time. Once student chefs in training under the direction of Mohini Singh’s culinary program at Pitman High School, Nestor Jacobo and James Inceno are now head chefs at Bistro 234 and First & Main, respectively.
Both chefs volunteer at Kitchens for Change. Jacobo said what started off as an idea quickly turned into a reality.
“It went from banter … to hey, let’s actually do something about it,” he said.
Inceno said they, too, noticed the struggle in their community. They felt like they could do their part to help by providing supervision.
“It’s their program; we’re just here to help them get started,” Inceno said.
Club to help Afghan refugees
On Monday, students participated in its latest mission of fundraising for arriving Afghan refugees by selling over 150 food tickets for family-size pasta and salad meals. Alec Castellano, volunteer and donations coordinator at the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit organization providing refugees with aid and resettlement services, said the county is experiencing an influx of Afghan refugees and they are struggling to afford basic necessities.
“They are starting from the bottom up,” he said, asking the teen-led group for help during a club meeting Thursday.
IRC estimates that over 1,000 Afghan refugees will make their way to Stanislaus County less than a year from now. With the money from their latest fundraising effort, students will buy groceries that Afghans are familiar using and plan to cook them an authentic meal under the guidance of a former Afghan refugee, said Singh.
Pitman teacher Singh, who is Rabine’s mom, said the meals will be delivered to individual households thanks to the help of parent volunteers like herself. She added the experience is a win-win for all.
She said she knew students would learn empathy, a lesson she feels can only be experienced and can’t be taught.
“(Refugees) get to eat something that they left behind, and then it teaches these guys how to empathize,” she said, believing that food provides healing.
She added that the experience not only helps promote small restaurant businesses, which were greatly impacted by the pandemic, but it teaches youth new skills all while they raise money for a good cause.
“It all in return goes back to our community,” she said.
Before launching the club, Rabine questioned what a kid his age could do to address food insecurity. He found inspiration for his project from celebrity Chef José Andrés, founder of the World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides professional culinary training to individuals who in turn use those skills to produce meals in the wake of natural disasters.
In only two months since the club’s launch, students have raised $10,000 toward addressing food insecurity in the region, Rabine said. Kitchens for Change has also grown to be the largest club on campus, with a membership of over 100 students.
“I’ve just been really shocked at how much people are willing to come out and help,” Rabine said, adding that even the best clubs on campus struggle with student participation. But when he shared his vision with his schoolmates, the sign up sheet to help quickly filled up.
Rabine said other schools, including one in Sacramento, are reaching out to the club, seeking to implement a similar program on their campuses. He said for now, local students are welcome to join their club, even though it’s part of THS, but he hopes that each school in the county can eventually implement its own program and that the effort expands past county lines.
“We would love to have other clubs make this more than just Turlock. We want this to be as big as possible,” he said.
At this time, students are selling food tickets in person and by word of mouth. For more information, visit the Kitchens for Change Instagram.
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
