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Miriam’s Kitchen Launches Innovative Alliance with Hospitality Leaders to Take on Homelessness in D.C.

January 30, 2014

Washington, DC (January 30, 2014) Miriam’s Kitchen today announced that it has formed an alliance with a team of the foremost experts in Washington’s culinary & hospitality sectors. Together, the members of the Strategic Effort to Allocate Resources (S.E.A.R.) initiative will collaborate on how to leverage industry leadership and a shared sense of hospitality to assist Miriam’s Kitchen in their meals program and overall mission to end chronic homelessness in DC by 2017. “The bedrock of all hospitality is the ability to serve a community’s needs,” said Emily Hagel, Director of Kitchen Operations for Miriam’s Kitchen. “The industry thrives by building buzz, managing local relationships and delivering incredible experiences that nourish and sustain the public. This same focus guides our work at Miriam’s Kitchen to change the discussion around homelessness, enlist local partners in our mission and continually provide an experience of community for our chronically homeless guests.”

To formally kick off the initiative, Miriam’s Kitchen announced the S.E.A.R. leadership council inaugural members:

Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, Toki Underground
Chef Jonathan Copeland, Ghibellina
Andrew Davidson, Park Hyatt
Gus DeMillo, Passion Food Group
Neil Dundee, Edens/Union Market
Fred Herrmann, Matchbox Food Group
Kathy Hollinger, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington
Jennifer Motruk Loy, Farmers Restaurant Group Scott Mowrey, Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group

As a first order of business, S.E.A.R. participants will focus on identifying the many unseen ways in which the restaurant and hospitality industries are impacted by homelessness. These insights will guide strategies by which S.E.A.R. members and the greater food community can strengthen Miriam’s Kitchen’s meals program. Council participants have committed to one-year terms, which will include participating in volunteer efforts and/or in-kind donations and meals sponsorships, as well as recruitment efforts to enlist new partners into the effort to support Miriam’s Kitchen’s mission to end chronic homelessness in D.C. Furthermore, S.E.A.R. members will work to educate peers on the real facts behind homelessness in D.C., including the economic benefits of Housing First as a proven solution for addressing chronic homelessness.

“Food and community are inextricably linked, and that makes our responsibility obvious,” said Fred Herrmann, Matchbox Food Group. “All of the S.E.A.R. participants share Miriam’s Kitchen’s belief that homelessness is a community problem that demands a community response. We’re proud to stand with them and lend our skills to build healthy communities.”

About Miriam’s Kitchen

Celebrating 30 years of service, Miriam’s Kitchen is committed to ending chronic homelessness in Washington, D.C. Miriam’s Kitchen advocates for permanent supportive housing as a long-term solution, while meeting short-term needs by providing healthy meals and high-quality social services to more than 5,000 homeless individuals each year. www.miriamskitchen.org

Press Contact:
Tom Murphy
Director of Communication
Miriam's Kitchen
(202) 368-8571
tom@miriamskitchen.org

Jurisdiction:
Washington DC