By Bridgette Brick-Wells
On Sept. 2, the Healthy Lunch & Lifestyle Project (a local nonprofit) began serving lunches to our two pilot schools. On that first day, we served 42 lunches. Less than three months later, we have grown to more than 100 lunches per day, providing lunches and nutrition education to more than 250 students, school staff, and their families.
On Dec. 1, we are adding Bethel Christian School to our project — expecting to double our daily orders at that time. Two charter schools are also working with us to bring or project onto their campuses in January. We are also negotiating with a very large traditional public school in Redding that serves more than 400 breakfasts and lunches per day! This traditional public school and others are talking to us about taking over their food service programs in the fall of 2009.
Our growth requires us to move out of our tiny shared space at Market Street Steakhouse. Yesterday, a bay area couple who own a restaurant space in Mission Square agreed to rent the space (now empty) to our project for $500 a month… for THREE years! This is less than 1/3 of the market rent on the space. This space accommodates virtually unlimited growth for us, allowing us to extend our reach into more and more Shasta County schools. During this time of economic distress, food security issues for the most at-risk children in our community are increasing at alarming levels; the need for healthy, nutrition-packed foods in our schools is more critical now than ever.
So what’s the URGENT need? The restaurant is nearly completely empty of all equipment. While plumbing, electrical, venting, etc. is all set up, the owners removed all the equipment except for the kitchen sinks 🙂 We need: a commercial stove, refrigerator(s) (or to re-install the walk-in space), dishwasher, stainless steel prep tables, and basic kitchen equipment (bowls, spatulas, mixers, etc.) The restaurant will also be our new office/project headquarters.
If you know of any restaurant/caterer that is going out of business or has surplus equipment and would be willing to donate or sell their used equipment, please pass this request along. We will be moving into our new space Dec. 15 and need it to be fully functioning by Jan. 5.
One other need: We are also looking to work with local food artisans (for instance, I am meeting tomorrow with a woman who is making cheese) to share our commercial kitchen space in exchange for what they make and/or a small percentage of proceeds and agreements to do cooking classes or education with our schools (staff, students and parents.) Local food producers who may have an interest are welcome to contact us.
We are really excited about the response to our project locally and beyond. Shasta County is an important leader in the childhood obesity prevention movement and we are proud to be doing our part, as well.
Bridgette Brick-Wells is the executive director and founder of Healthy Lunch & Lifestyle Project, a non-profit public-benefit corporation [501 (c) 3 status pending]. She can be reached at 530-262-4484 or helpshasta.com. That’s her husband, Jesse, and their children.
