The Chef and the Child

The ACF is concerned about hunger in the United States. To help in the fight against hunger, the National ACF has established The Chef and the Child Foundation, our voice in the fight against hunger.

Through the Chef and the Child Foundation, the ACF provides local grants to feed hungry children, and trains volunteers and personnel at soup kitchens and shelters to serve food that is safe, wholesome and nutritious. Having made our living with food, we want to share our knowledge and expertise. It's our way of giving back to society.

The ACF Columbus Chapter holds fundraisers each year specifically for the Chef and the Child Foundation. Annual events are the Chef's Garden Grill held in Schiller Park during the German Village Home and Garden Tour, and a fall fundraising dinner produced by the second-year apprentice class at Columbus State Community College. Twenty percent of funds raised will go to the the National ACF Chef and the Child Foundation, and eighty percent is given to our local partner, the Children's Hunger Alliance, formerly the Ohio Hunger Task Force.

As part of the Chef and the Child Program, the ACF Columbus Chapter in cooperation with the Children's Hunger Alliance, has developed a program called "The Little Chefs Club". At after school sites in the Columbus area, chapter members donate their time to teach children hands-on food preparation. The children have fun learning the basics about food, and they get to eat what they have prepared.

In our mentoring through the Little Chefs Club, we hope in some small way to improve each child's self-image. The children can also learn how to prepare nutritional foods and develop some idea of how to make good food that costs less than pre-made food.

Volunteers are needed for the Little Chefs Club. ACF Columbus Chapter members who are available to make the commitment to teach one day a week for four weeks can call the chapter office at (614) 470-2002.

The message of the Chef and the Child Foundation can be summed up in the old adage: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

The ACF Columbus Chapter is proud to provide support to the Children's Hunger Alliance through the Little Chefs Club.

The Children's Hunger Alliance is Ohio's leader in hunger education, advocacy, and direct service programs for children. Its mission is to enhance the well-being of Ohio's children and families by meeting immediate child nutrition needs and advocating for the elimination of hunger through education.

The Children's Hunger Alliance serves nearly 10,000 children every day across Ohio. For more information on the CHA's many programs and activities visit the Children's Hunger Alliance on the web or call them at (800) 227-OHIO.