I will again be coordinating this year’s Holiday Meal for those in need. This is year 23. In the past we have delivered to the Family Support Center on A Street, Sam Jones Hall, Valley of the Moon Children’s Center, Women’s Recovery Services, Children’s Village and anyone else who lets us know that they need a meal. Last year, as in most past years, we provided meals for more than 500 people. To date we have never said no to anyone who has asked.

This holiday meal began as something that a few friends do by getting together and preparing a meal for people in need in our own neighborhood. It is not an effort to replace what agencies provide. It is an opportunity for each of us to give a little and watch as our cumulative donations turn into the gift of a true holiday meal.  A true holiday meal, as defined by me, means that the recipient feels wealthy for that day, wealthy enough to be able to have leftovers for their children, for seniors to have food for the week or to simply feel that they can invite someone to share their meal. It’s always amazing to watch all of this come together.

The menu this year is the usual fare; turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, roast vegetables, green beans, wild rice salad, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, bread/rolls, dessert and anything else that I may have forgotten or that you would like to contribute. If you would like to donate food or money (as both are needed), are available to cook, (peel, chop, wash dishes), or would like to deliver a meal on Christmas morning, please let us know by phone or email.

Please don’t ask businesses to contribute. This is an example of the power of what a circle of friends can do.

Thank you so much for your years of helping. We have touched many lives.

Evelyn

Evelyn Cheatham

Worth Our Weight

1021 Hahman Dr

Santa Rosa, CA 95405

707 544 1200

In the past, many of our apprentices regularly faced the threat of homelessness, a tragic situation that could have devastating consequences for them.  At the end of 2011 we were able to acquire a house near the cafe; this year renovations were completed. We now have a house parent, and apprentices have begun to move in.  We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our supporters who made this possible – thanks to you, the WOW apprentices will always have a place to call home.

Our apprentices are the heart, soul and focus of our program. This year they have cooked with some very illustrious chefs.  Several worked with chef Duskie Estes this spring at a fundraiser.  They were also invited to participate in the Guy Fieri/Mario Batali dinner at Kendall Jackson where they cooked with chefs Josh Sylvers, John Stewart and Douglas Keane. This summer an apprentice interned in New York after graduating from WOW, and is now back home working at Spinster Sisters.  Other WOW alums are working at Viola, La Gare, Community Market, Heritage House, and Johnny Garlic’s. Congratulations to these impressive young people!

We enjoyed our share of accolades this year.  The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recognized Worth Our Weight for its work in making the community healthier.  Our Executive Director, Evelyn Cheatham, was featured on KGO-TV’s Profiles of Excellence and Chopped!  The Sonoma County Women in Law also honored her for her extraordinary work leading WOW.

Another exciting development is that we recently acquired the Cookhouse property, a building that houses a beloved and iconic Santa Rosa restaurant.  While the Cookhouse will continue to operate under its current ownership, this acquisition holds the possibility of eventually providing WOW graduates with a place to work and be paid while maintaining a connection with the program.

Even though it has been a landmark year we continue to operate in a challenging environment.  Young people [no comma] in our community, disproportionately bear the brunt of ongoing government budget cuts and the slow pace of the economic recovery. This makes Worth Our Weight more needed than ever.  But for all the work we do, we remain a small non-profit that receives no government funding, and very little in the way of foundation grants.

For all of these reasons, we need your donations now more than ever.  Your year-end donation will help us pay for uniforms, supplies, transportation and the small stipend that, for some apprentices, means they will have the financial ability to continue in the program.

Thank you for all for your support of Worth Our Weight.  Very warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year from the Board of Worth Our Weight.

Our dear Jenny got married.

Erik with Clark Wolf on his first day in New York

WOW Graduate, Erik Carreno, spent a few days in the big apple on a Worth Our Weight sponsored field trip. Hosted by Clark Wolf and a few friends of WOW, Erik was treated to many of the culinary pleasures of New York. From Balthazar to Zabar’s and a little Eataly in between. Manhattan resident and staunch WOW supporter Marni Fechter treated Erik to a 12 course dinner at Dovetail. He was also able to stage at Calliope, owned by former Sonoma County residents, Eric Korsh & Ginny Iverson. They are the former owners of Eloise in Sebastopol.