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Community Spotlight: Mealshare

August 26, 2021 admin Community, YESS Champion

Mealshare is committed to creating a world where it’s easier to share with those in need, and every child and youth is fed as a result. And, they won’t stop until that’s happened.

How does Mealshare work? Mealshare partners with restaurants and selects a “Mealshare Item” for the menu. When a customer orders this item, they get their meal, just like normal—and for each of those items sold, restaurants contribute $1.00 to Mealshare. Those funds are shared with partner agencies like YESS to purchase groceries and ingredients to provide meals for children and youth. Buy one, give one—it’s that simple!

Mealshare first partnered with us in 2015 and they have donated over $100,000 to YESS! 

We talked to Shree Govindarajan about her experience in bringing restaurants and charities together to support youth and children in our communities.

Tell us about yourself and your role at Mealshare.

My name is Shree, and I am the Edmonton Community Leader for Mealshare. I joined the organization in August 2018 to help fight against youth hunger, and connect with the restaurant community to do so. The Community Leader position is a combination of restaurant recruitment and retention, as well as managing our charity partners, and other community stakeholders. It’s been a rewarding experience, and such a great way to engage with my city.

How does Mealshare work?

It’s really simple! Mealshare is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end youth hunger in our lifetimes, with a Buy 1, Give 1 model. Our partner restaurants put the Mealshare logo on 2-3 menu items, and when patrons go in and order those items, they not only get a delicious meal, but they also share a meal with a youth in need through our program. Our partner restaurants provide us with funds for each one of their Mealshare items sold, and we distribute those funds to partner charities who then serve those meals. It’s a really great way to turn dining out into helping out!

Why did Mealshare choose to focus on supporting kids and youth focused organizations?

Kids and youth are such a vulnerable population, and we wanted to focus on these groups as well as the glaring issue of youth hunger in our communities. When people think of starving kids, they often think of groups in other countries, of it being a far-away issue. They often don’t think about the kids who live in their own communities, who are going to school without lunches in their backpacks, or food in their bellies. Especially as kids need good nutrition in this critical growth stage, it’s so important that they receive healthy meals on a consistent basis, and we’re so happy we can help through our program.

How does Mealshare see their impact in the community?

Recently, Mealshare hit the 4.5 million meals shared mark, which is incredible. Just thinking about 4.5 million Canadian kids who were fed through our program is very humbling, and also mind-blowing. Our impact on a day-to-day basis is still humbling, if not a little more easy to digest. We hear from restaurant owners that their customers love that they can give back to their communities in a way that is tangible, and guilt-free. We hear from our charity partners that it is nice to have a consistent source of funding, and that it helps them to plan and budget better. We see it in volunteer sessions with our partner charities, when we can serve meals directly alongside our restaurant partners, and see the impact of our work as kids and youth fill their plates.

Find out which Edmonton restaurants partner with Mealshare here

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Meet the YESS Kitchen Team!

August 26, 2021 admin Life at YESS

Our kitchen team works hard to make sure our youth have access to nutritious meals in our programs. Over the past year, they provided over 70,000 meals! This is not only important for physical health for our youth, but also helps to create trust and build relationships with them, creating an environment where they feel safe to embark on their journey towards healing.

Like all of our teams, the kitchen team has had to adjust the way they work these past 18 months. We talked to Ryan Little and Reddy Manikyala about how their team has worked together to continue to do their important work.

What does it mean to nourish youth at YESS?

For us as a kitchen team, to nourish youth means we are potentially giving them a hot meal they would otherwise not necessarily have received. We want to be able to broaden their culinary tastes through a range of foods from various cultural backgrounds within the confines of what has been donated and what we have purchased.

What nourishes you, as a team?

The kitchen team gets our nourishment from knowing that our hard work creating meals is filling the bellies of our youth. The rewards of knowing the youth have tried something new and are happier without an empty stomach nourishes our hearts and minds.

What tips or ideas can you provide for community members who want to nourish their families, or organizations like ours?

We would encourage our community members to try and expand their culinary minds! Try that new restaurant down the street. Eat that meal you have never eaten. Make the recipe you have never made before. Don’t be afraid to play around with flavours. Share your new experiences with others. Take the time to volunteer or donate to organizations like ours. There is no harm in trying something new.

What is something you wish the community knew about youth who access YESS?

Our youth are very culinarily adventurous, and they have suggested meals that we have never had the chance to make before, expanding our own culinary minds. As we want to show them our favourites, they as well challenge us to try new styles of cooking and experiment with different flavours.

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Interview with Chef Scott Jonathan Iserhoff

August 26, 2021 admin Uncategorized

This article was originally published in the Spring 2019 newsletter. Scott spoke so powerfully about food, culture, and building positive relationships that we want to share it again.

Scott Jonathan Iserhoff is now the owner and chef of Pei Pei Chei Ow (pronounced “pe-pe-s-chew”), a catering company based in Edmonton creating contemporary Indigenous cuisine.

Learn more at peipeicheiow.com 

Hear more from Scott as one of the Indigenous chefs interviewed for “A Land of Rich Traditions” in Culinaire magazine.

Pei Pei Chei Ow was also featured as part of “The Original Original” campaign for Destination Indigenous

At YESS our vision is to walk beside traumatized youth on their journeys towards healing and appropriate community integration. This doesn’t just apply to youth workers in Programs—it applies to every department across YESS! And just like many other folks would say about their own homes, what happens in the kitchen is a huge part of the heart of our work at YESS.

We sat down with YESS Chef Scott Iserhoff to talk about his experiences in creating a space where youth can heal through his culinary calling. Scott studied culinary arts and hotel management in Ontario and has been a chef for over 15 years. But his love of food and community goes back farther than that.

“Cooking is an integral part of my Indigenous culture. My first exposure to food was through eating wild meat with my family and smoking goose over the fire with my grandparents,” says Scott.

How does Scott bring this same powerful feeling he first experienced in childhood to his work at YESS?

“In my culture we say that food is medicine,” says Scott. “Not only does it feed your body, but it also carries a strong sense of community and hard work. Preparing food for others can also be seen as ceremony. It feeds your spirit.”

Almost half of the youth who access YESS identify as Indigenous and Scott takes every opportunity he can to share culture and connection with all our youth.

“Being an Indigenous person and being present in the space of YESS contributes to many youth who are also Indigenous feeling more represented, safer, and having someone to relate to,” says Scott. “This also extends to cooking, where I have the chance to share my cultural dishes with the youth, providing many of them with comfort and connection through food.”

Last year we announced that our focus would move more towards trauma-informed care. This has started to reach out from youth programs to touch other areas of YESS to align all teams with what it means to walk beside youth on their journeys towards healing. This includes the kitchen in a major way.

“Food is one of the top resources we need to secure for our kids in trauma care and if we cannot reassure our kids that they will always have food, we will never get to the root of their trauma,” says Cherish Hepas, Kitchen Supervisor. “In a small way we add to a positive experience for our youth on a daily basis through food. It has been a joy to watch them literally eat their hearts out. Trauma-informed care will be a fantastic tool to help our kids. It’s going to be an exciting time for the agency as we embark on this new form of care.”

In his two years at YESS, Scott has impacted hundreds of young lives through food and culture, making YESS a safe and healing space for youth who have experienced trauma. What has Scott taken away from the time he has spent with youth?

“The most remarkable experiences for me are connecting with youth over food and hearing about what they’ve enjoyed or what food they’d like to try in the future,” says Scott. “I wish that more people were aware of homelessness in our city and the huge gaps in resources that still exist, as well as the prejudice and stigma that our youth have to face on a daily basis. With more awareness hopefully there will be more understanding and positive change.”

The special way that YESS chefs honour their work in the kitchen shows in the ways our youth experience food, build trust, and heal through relationships.

“This kitchen was given to me as a gift from my predecessor. I treat it like a very special gift. I teach my staff to treat it like a gift,” says Cherish. “That is what walking beside our youth is like. It’s a window into their souls. If this kitchen can somehow touch one of those beautiful souls through food, we will have added a little light in whatever darkness they battle. And that is what food is in the end. Something that truly nourishes.”

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The Ins and Outs of Bequest Giving

August 18, 2021 admin YESS Champion

Karen Reed has a larger-than-life personality and the laugh to go with it. Venture to ask for her thoughts on legacy building in life and at YESS, and her mood will turn reflective, with comments sure to be full of candor and characteristic passion.  

Karen’s Giving Story

I’ve always understood the “why” of my working at YESS. There is an undeniable ebb and flow to the daily dynamic and culture that touches the lives of so many. You can see it very clearly—how we each at various times come to play a small or a large part in the weaving of a youth’s life story. We’re all helping in our own way to create this incredibly rich legacy. It’s so important to touch a life, to share your heart, and to live well!

My charitable giving has become more focused over time on a few particular causes close to my heart.  From my perspective, time and treasure run parallel to each other. And so, it’s important to me that I support organizations that work in tandem with my personal vision and values. I have a real love and respect for local grassroots charities, not typically found to be in the spotlight, doing a variety of great work for the community. I have been both a volunteer and a monthly donor throughout my entire tenure with YESS. I see the far-reaching, inspiring, and hugely consequential impact of a donor’s support on young lives. Each time I see one of our youth at YESS making strides in their life because they have the critical supports that they need, I am so grateful that YESS is there to be the gift of hope they need.  

About 5 years ago, I met my wills and estate lawyer. Working together, I was guided through the estate planning process. I had my will drawn up and YESS was named in my estate. This was a very important step for me, both in my personal planning for the future and for that of Youth Empowerment & Support Services. This legacy gift was an opportunity for me to deepen my commitment to an organization I trust and deeply respect. It’s a great source of satisfaction and peace of mind knowing how greatly the youth will benefit from what may be the most valuable gift I ever give.

In the face of so many critical circumstances and challenges faced by the youth, I am always in awe of their resiliency and strength. It has been amazing to me when I realize how many people I know who accessed YESS when they were teenagers, survived deeply challenging and difficult times, and who are now uniquely successful persons in their own right. I am proud to honor their courage and fortitude and to support futures that will be shaped by their time spent at YESS.

Is YESS already in your will or other estate plans?  Thank you! Please let us know about your plans because it helps YESS plan for the future. Call 780.468.7070 or email Eileen Papulkas in our Development Office and she will add your name to the Legacy Society. Your gift may remain anonymous, if you so wish.

Don’t have a will? You’re not alone! Now is a great time to start planning, and please consider including a bequest to YESS in your estate plans. Contact Eileen for suggested “bequest language” and YESS’s charitable tax number for you to share with your attorney.

Shelly K. Chamaschuk, is a Barrister & Solicitor with Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP. Her practice focuses on corporate/commercial matters, business and succession planning, estate planning, including Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Personal Directives, family trusts, and estate administration. She is their firm’s Wills, Estates & Trusts Team Lead. Shelly kindly agreed to write a guest article for us. For more information on Wills in Alberta, read her article “Do I need a Will?”

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