LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville nonprofit is working hard to fight food insecurity across Louisville and it's now training a new generation of volunteers to do the same.
Chef Rhona Kamar started Feed Louisville in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The mission of the organization is to take food from the kitchen into the community.
"When emergency kitchens were shutting down, we thought we would do this for a couple of weeks," Kamar said. Today, the nonprofit spends five days a week getting meals out to people experiencing food insecurity.
Thanks to a new partnership with Jefferson Community and Technical College, Kamar is getting the help she needs to expand the program even further.
"For the interns, they have an experience they may not have in a regular restaurant environment," said Kamar.
Michaela Donelson, a JCTC culinary student, is Feed Louisville's very first intern. She said each day provides something new.
"You pretty much come into a surprise every day, you never know what you're going to be working with," she said.
Donelson said cooking for her boys led her to take on culinary arts. Now, she's making waves in the kitchen - all for a bigger purpose.
"I really like the fact that we were getting hot food for people in the streets that needed it," said Donelson. "It was like a no-brainer for me, honestly."
She works with what she's got. The new food she works with each day allows her to create things she may not make on a day-to-day basis.
"What I go in thinking might be a basic dish could turn into something extravagant," said Donelson.
Kamar said the work of Feed Louisville allows them to cook from the heart.
"The people that we serve may never be a customer, so this is an opportunity to give purely from your heart," said Kamar.
When it comes to Michaela, professors note they knew she would fit right in.
"She stays late, she comes in early, so when I heard from Rhona, that was the first person that came to mind," said Cathy Crowder Johnson, the JCTC culinary director.
Helping lead the kitchen each day to make something worthwhile.
"It's really important to help out those in need and if you have the time or the means then I think it's what we should all do," said Donelson.
For anyone looking to sign up to help the non-profit, you can click here.
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