PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Five Philadelphia chefs are hosting a fundraiser this weekend to help fight food insecurity in Philly neighborhoods.
Chef Stephanie Willis founded Everybody Eats at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. She works with four other Black Philly chefs.
“We pick a different neighborhood every other week and we literally pop up with food,” she explained.
But the effort can get expensive, so on Sunday, they are hosting their first sitdown fundraiser at the Fitler Club. Twenty percent of the proceeds will help fund Everybody Eats’ mission.
“All five of our chefs are going to be in the kitchen, and Fitler Club is opening up for non-members to come and enjoy a dinner in the igloos,” she said.
Indoor and outdoor seating is available between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Meals will also be available for pickup for those who want to support the cause from a social distance.
Willis has learned a lot about food insecurity during the pandemic. “People get forgotten about all the time, and it’s not OK.”
Her project has grown into something she believes should become a permanent staple.
“We come into communities where people look like us, where my family’s from, where all of the chefs grew up in the neighborhoods, and we create a different type of vibe.”
Sometimes the chefs cook meals, other times they give out food boxes.
Aside from raising money for their bi-monthly food giveaways, Willis said Everybody Eats has a long-term goal: secure a location that can double as a warehouse.
“And eventually when we do get our space, we want to train up minorities that are interested in the restaurant business,” she said.
For more details on Everybody Eats’ mission, listen to the KYW Newsradio original podcast What’s Cooking on the RADIO.COM app.