L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano I t ' s a b i g d a y f o r Farming Hope. The R e f e t t o r i o S a n Francisco , one of the spaces designed by Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore's non-profit, Food for Soul, opened its doors for a celebration on a Sunday evening, November 7th. Located in the heart of t h e c i t y , R e f e t t o r i o S F r e f l e c t s l o c a l d e s i g n a n d aims at offering an uplifting e x p e r i e n c e f o r t h e w h o l e c o m m u n i t y . T h r o u g h t h e w o r k o f l o c a l n o n - p r o f i t Farming Hope, the space creates a liaison between C h e f B o t t u r a a n d L a r a ' s vision and Farming Hope's values. We met J a m i e S t a r k , F a r m i n g H o p e E x e c u t i v e Director and Co-founder, while they're getting ready for Sunday's Festa. Jamie shared why Refettorio SF is special: "We are driven by the real needs of our appren- tices and guests. Massimo's model is not a franchise, it's more of a loose network that allows us to keep working on p a i d a p p r e n t i c e s h i p p r o - grams for people who have been incarcerated or home- less. We believe that, if you are transitioning to a new life, you need connections, belonging, and money. From the first hour on the job, cooking or gardening, you get paid while we work to connect with future employ- ers." T h e R e f e t t o r i o h a s b e c o m e a s o r t o f church/non-church, a sanc- t u a r y w h e r e p e o p l e g r o w together by seating at the table and being treated the same. "Farming Hope has a triple impact, the apprentice programs - that will involve u p t o 2 0 f o l k s n e x t y e a r ; community meals for neigh- bors who are experiencing food insecurity - we donated over 50 thousand meals in 2020, and over 60 thousand i n 2 0 2 1 ; f o o d r e c o v e r y - things that would be other- wise wasted: we are already a t 1 0 t h o u s a n d p o u n d s recovered this year." B o t h u n i v e r s a l i t y a n d uniqueness of the initiative b e c a m e e v e n m o r e c l e a r during the pandemic. Jamie didn't hide his pride while t a l k i n g a b o u t h i s t e a m : "Besides the pressing time a n d a n x i e t y , w e w o r k e d harder than ever because our apprentices wanted to give back to others - it was and is inspiring for me per- sonally every day. We didn't let anybody go and kept all the apprentices. Even if we had to close our restaurant w i t h i n t w o d a y s - n o t i c e , i n s t e a d o f h a v i n g g u e s t s coming here to get dinner, we delivered. It's a bit of a missed experience, however we will be able to start it again in the Spring, while we keep deliveries especially for workers who aren't able to come in person but are still in need of food." R i c h a r d A r m a n i n o , D i r e c t o r a t I t a l f o o d s a n d m e m b e r o f t h e S F - A s s i s i Sister City Committee, is all smiles and greetings during La Festa. "Today's fundrais- er is a great opportunity for people to better understand the vision of Italian Chef Massimo Bottura, his desire to give back to those in com- munities that are struggling with homelessness such as San Francisco, which is a vital step to helping those less fortunate." And contin- u e s : " T h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n between Refettorio SF and F a r m i n g H o p e i s a g r e a t m o d e l , i t p r o v i d e s t h e c h a n c e t o l e a r n a s k i l l , employment opportunities, and nutritious meals serving over 400 people per day. It doesn't just enable a life liv- ing on the street but offers o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o t h o s e i n n e e d . T h i s o r g a n i z a t i o n depends on donations, so I encourage people who didn't a t t e n d t h e f u n d r a i s e r t o schedule a visit and see first hand the amazing work that is being done." While seated at the com- m u n a l t a b l e a n d h a v i n g lunch with some of Farming Hope's team, there's a frame on the wall that speaks more than any other. Dating back t o J u n e 2 0 2 1 , a g r o u p o f people is posing for a photo. A m o n g t h e m a r e A l i c e Waters, Jill Conklin, and f o r m e r I t a l y ' s C o n s u l General Lorenzo Ortona. T h e l a t t e r v i s i t e d t h e SERENA PERFETTO Refettorio at the end of his mandate and before moving b a c k t o I t a l y . I n a p h o n e i n t e r v i e w , M r . O r t o n a s h a r e d w i t h u s w h y h e i s very proud of this project. "Refettorio San Francisco r e p r e s e n t s a f o r m o f s o f t diplomacy that allows us to bring together the best of Italy, food and solidarity. We can share experiences that put food next to people in need. The Refettorio is an Italian concept that can be e x p o r t e d o u t s i d e o f o u r country, goes beyond bor- d e r s , b e c o m i n g a s i g n o f diplomacy. San Francisco h a s m a n y p r o b l e m s a t a social fabric level, homeless, loneliness, just to mention a few. There are people who don't have a family or any social connections and they a r e i s o l a t e d a n d i n n e e d . This initiative helps address these social issues by giving people a place where they a r e w e l c o m e d a n d f e e l a sense of belonging." Former Consul General Ortona worked with Food for Soul to start off the pro- ject. "I already had a great r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h C h e f B o t t u r a a n d w e , a s Consulate, offered support to Jill from Food for Soul, when they were looking for a l o c a t i o n . T h e p a n d e m i c helped somehow because m a n y r e s t a u r a n t s h a d closed, leaving some empty spaces. Cala Restaurant was one of them. Not only was Cala an excellent Mexican restaurant, but they also had a great program to give jobs t o f o r m e r l y i n c a r c e r a t e d people and offered training in the kitchen and on the dining room floor. The con- nection with them and tim- ing were just perfect." What happened after they were able to lock the place is now part of Refettorio SF's s t o r y . " W e w o r k e d w i t h Massimo, Jill, and Jamie to create a virtual board of peo- ple from the Bay Area who are close to Italy as well as to the principles of fundraising a n d a w a r e n e s s . A l i c e W a t e r s , F e d e l e B a u c c i o - CEO and Cofounder of Bon A p p é t i t , h i g h - l e v e l c h e f s who know Chef Bottura, like Michael Tusk from Cotogna, and some other important n a m e s , l i k e J o e D ' A l e s s a n d r o f r o m S F T r a v e l . T h r o u g h v i r t u a l meetings, we created a net- work of high-level people who share the same sensitiv- ity as Chef Bottura. After this first step, I am delighted t h a t t h e n e w C o n s u l General, Sergio Strozzi, will be able to carry on this pro- j e c t . T h i s w i l l a l w a y s b e known as Italy's gift to the c i t y o f S a n F r a n c i s c o through soft diplomacy." Consul General, Sergio Strozzi, is excited to take on the legacy of this project, knowing how much work is left to ensure its success in the long run. Consul General, why is this project important for the Italian communi- ty and San Francisco? W i t h o v e r 1 i n 4 S a n F r a n c i s c a n s f a c i n g f o o d insecurity due to COVID-19, there are certain communi- t i e s i n d e s p e r a t e n e e d o f help. Refettorio works as a bridge between everyday's food waste and food insecu- At work, at the Refettorio San Francisco! (Photo: The Consulate General in San Francisco) Refettorio San Francisco is born, putting people in need, food, and belonging at the center of its work SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY Continued to page 32

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