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WHAT:

Feeding South Florida — a hunger-relief organization — is turning into “Teaching South Florida.”

Well, for a few days in August anyway.

The non-profit is hosting a series of cooking classes in its Community Kitchen at their Palm Beach County warehouse in Boynton Beach. After getting hands-on culinary experience, participants can take their creations home to enjoy. You must be 18+ years of age (you can bring a child to the tarte-making class). A portion of the proceeds support Feeding South Florida’s mission to end hunger in South Florida.

The instructor will be chef Susan Taves, the director of culinary services for Feeding South Florida. Taves owned a boutique catering company before working for a corporate dining company in Austin, Texas, as an executive chef on the Google account. She also taught in several culinary programs and consulted with Sandals Resorts.

SCHEDULE AND COST:

• Taco Tuesday class on Tuesday, Aug.15, 6-7:30 p.m. $70 per person: You will make tortillas and a pasilla chili sauce. Chicken and mushroom fillings will be available as well as traditional taco toppings.

• A Tarte for Two on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2-3 p.m. $55 for two people (and one minor): You will be instructed on how to make a crust for an apple filling to make a tarte.

• Sushi Workshop on Friday, Aug. 25, 6-7:30 p.m. $70 per person: You will be taught the fundamentals of sushi and prepare traditional Japanese sushi rice before making vegetarian and spicy tuna nori rolls as well as nigiri sushi.

WHERE:

The Feeding South Florida Community Kitchen at the Palm Beach County Warehouse; 4925 Park Ridge Blvd., Boynton Beach.

EXTRA TIDBIT:

• Feeding South Florida will also host a “Wine and Bourbon Experience” at the organization’s Pembroke Park Warehouse on Wednesday, July 26, 6-8 p.m.
• Guests will enjoy four tastings and appetizers and can participate in a silent auction.
• Tickets are $75 per person.
• The Warehouse is located at 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park.

INFORMATION:

feedingsouthflorida.org/events.

This winter, though, there won’t be another feeding trial.

Wildlife experts say there are two main reasons for that decision: There’s enough seagrass in the Mosquito Lagoon — where manatees linger during the colder winter months — for the population to eat this winter, according to an announcement from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The commission also said “there are currently no indications that manatees in this region are in poor or compromised body condition” due to a manatee die-off that began in 2021. A record 1,100 animals died that year, many from starvation in a human-fueled seagrass famine.

A federally designated “Unusual Mortality Event” is still underway for manatees on the Atlantic coast, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in October the agency is reviewing whether manatees should be reclassified as an endangered species.

The decision not to continue feeding manatees comes after state wildlife experts met with staff from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and reviewed data from the previous two winters, according to the Florida wildlife commission.

“After careful consideration, the agencies are not providing manatees with a supplemental food source at the beginning of the winter season,” reads the announcement from Florida wildlife experts. “However, staff developed a contingency plan for supplemental feeding which they will implement if needed.”

Patrick Rose, an aquatic biologist and executive director of Save the Manatee Club, said he supports the decision to end the feeding trial, but added the caveat that there needs to be regular, in-depth monitoring to ensure manatees in the Indian River Lagoon are keeping their health.

“There’s much more vegetation available than there was at the worst part of the Unusual Mortality Event. But there’s still a long ways to go for the system to be fully recovered,” Rose told the Tampa Bay Times in an interview on Monday evening.

“By no means is the Mosquito Lagoon in great shape,” Rose said. “But it’s not at a point where it would be appropriate to continue the supplemental feeding.”

_____

©2023 Tampa Bay Times. Visit at tampabay.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The site stated early on “Network failed. Please try again” — but some posts slowly began showing near the end of President Biden’s address.

Trump’s 6.67 million followers began seeing some action at about 10:15 p.m. as the former president pointed out Biden kept coughing into his right hand, “DON’T SHAKE PEOPLE’S HANDS GOING OUT,” Trump wrote.

Trump noted deep into the State of the Union address that Biden is “having a hard time now — The words are not flowing smoothly out of his mouth!”

Another post followed up: “Other countries are laughing at our stupidity on ‘Climate.’ The Green New Scam is destroying our Economy and our Country!”

Another post was a photoshopped image of Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin inside a “Biden/Harris” campaign spoof ad saying “Endorsed by Vladimir Putin.”

A few other early posts by Trump did show, only to disappear again as the site struggled to stay live. It’s not clear why, but it could be a massive crush of new followers or some other glitch.

It didn’t stop the Trump team, however, from pivoting to email alerts as President Biden made his way through this address. One missive stated, “Joe Biden’s Education Department is more focused on social justice indoctrination than teaching students.”

It also didn’t stop the heckling in the chamber, with GOP Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene yelling out when Biden addressed the migrant crisis.

A Truth Social post that showed late stated Trump saying of the migrant crisis: “He’s talking about Violence, but Migrant Violence is leading the Worst Crime Wave in history!”

The feed began picking up steam just as Biden was given a Bronx cheer when he said, “finally,” before delivering his closing remarks.

Trump’s post around that time, clearly delayed depending where you were on the feed, stated: “He made Iran RICH. Thish is why we have the problems in the Middle East. With me, Iran was BROKE. He is the reason that the Middle East is blowing up!”

But that was it as Biden ended just after 10:30 p.m. with Biden shaking hands on the way out.

The Turkey Box Brigade program provides roughly 3,500 families with a turkey and a box filled with all the ingredients needed to prepare a happy holiday meal.

The idea for joining the Turkey Box Brigade program belongs to the MCCWA Community Impact Committee. The plan was simple: the CIC purchased the necessary nonperishable items requested, and the Mizner volunteers (brigade) filled and packed each box. Within 90 minutes, they assembled 125 boxes.

“The outpouring of support was incredible,” said MCCWA President Ruth Greenberg. “We picked up the flat boxes and brought them to the children’s corner in the clubhouse, where Mizner children could color them and write messages on each.”

Greenberg said they went shopping, and after the food was delivered, more than 40 men, women and children formed an assembly line to pack each box with everything from stuffing to cranberry sauce to apple pie filling.

A group of teenagers took the filled boxes and stacked each for pickup by Boca Helping Hands.

“This year, the Boca Helping Hands Thanksgiving Box Brigade provided almost 4,000 families or 16,000 people with everything they need to share a traditional Thanksgiving meal as a family,” said Steve King, director of development for Boca Helping Hands. “The Mizner Women’s Club was a huge part of making it possible; they held a Turkey Trot and a gala to raise money as well as packing boxes that feed over 650 people. They were one of our biggest partners in this year’s event.”

Boca Helping Hands is a nonprofit organization that provides food, job training, access to healthcare and financial assistance to help individuals and families improve their quality of life and build financial stability.

According to Boca Helping Hands, the organization is consistently distributing over 10,000 bags per month to its Pantry Bag Program participants at locations in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth. The program is open to qualifying Palm Beach County families living at or below the poverty level determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Visit bocahelpinghands.org/PantryBagProgram.

Feliciano was joined by his 6-year-old daughter, Shawn, and wife, Shannon, during the volunteer shift as they helped to prep, cook and pack meals for delivery to community members.

“This is something near and dear to my heart,” he said. “I grew up poor, and there were times I did not have food to eat and we didn’t have lights or water. I was homeless for a little bit in high school. It was always a struggle to find that next meal. This place feeds a lot of people and to be a part of it makes me feel good. The first time I volunteered here, it left a big impact on me. This organization is something we have been part of and will continue to do.”

Feliciano said it was special to share the experience with his daughter.

“My daughter does not understand at the moment how I grew up or how a lot of people grew up around the world,” he said. “I thought it was important for her to be here and to start shaping her mind. My daughter always talks about helping people. I am going to try to help her learn the right way. I know this is something that will stick with her. In this climate, a lot of people want to impact and change the world, and to be in our neighborhood and community is the way to start.”

Feliciano, who is originally from East Meadow, New York, recalled his time at Western High School in Davie where he received support from school staff members.

“School was one of the best things for me because I knew I would have two meals there,” he said. “The teachers and principals helped me a lot. I was close with my basketball coach, Steve Todd, and football coach, Rashad West, and they were both big influences in my life and mentors. I still talk to them. Strength coach Jeremy Herring helped me. I do not make it to the league or do anything I am doing now without the people at Western. I now go back to the school and try to make an impact for the kids there.”

Feliciano also spoke about his message of hard work and determination.

“The No. 1 thing I tell people is the concept of delayed gratification,” he said. “When I was younger, I just kept my head down and just worked. I knew one day all that work and staying out of trouble was going to pay off. It was a dream come true playing football, especially for the University of Miami.”

Feliciano was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL draft by the Oakland Raiders in 2015. He also previously played for the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants. He joined the 49ers in 2023 and was a starting guard in Super Bowl LVIII.

“I had a lot of family and ex-teammates there and it was a great experience to play in the Super Bowl,” he said. “Obviously, it was tough to not win it. I am running out of time and I want to get it done.”

Feeding South Florida CEO Paco Vélez said he appreciated the support from Feliciano. The nonprofit organization has a mission to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts and transforming lives through innovative programming and education.

“It was an amazing opportunity to host Jon and his family,” Vélez said. “Jon has volunteered before and what is truly impressive is we have someone who played in the Super Bowl and he is using his platform to give back to the community. He does not forget his struggles and where he comes from. It’s very moving and very inspiring.”

In South Florida, there are over 1.2 million food insecure individuals as well as 1 in 9 individuals who remain uncertain about where they will get their next meal due to inflation, increased housing costs, rising fuel prices and the strained supply chain.

“Prices have not come down and families are figuring out the new cost of living,” Vélez said. “Wages have not caught up to the rate of inflation and folks are struggling to stay in their homes and pay their utilities. We want to help families and others in workforce housing with the basic need of food and to offset costs by decreasing their food budget so they can have more stability and afford to stay in their homes.”

As the leading hunger-relief organization in South Florida, the nonprofit serves Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Feeding South Florida unveiled its state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot community kitchen in 2020. The kitchen helps with the mission of ending hunger in South Florida by serving up to 20,200 meals per day for children’s after-school and summer programs, meals for older adults and medically tailored meals. The kitchen also provides critical meals during disaster response.The multipurpose community kitchen is a meal production site, holds a culinary training program, healthy cooking classes, and also serves as a social enterprise catering and incubator space for graduates of the program.

“We have an incredible team,” Vélez said. “We have a lot of folks in the warehouse and a lot of great truck drivers. We have a lot of support from our volunteers and they’re an extension of our team every single day. We have members of our team who risked their health during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am super proud of our team. Food and security is on the forefront of our thoughts and to make sure families have food on the table.”

Visit feedingsouthflorida.org.

Cuisine For A Cause will serve up seafood and pasta among other culinary creations from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the nonprofit’s Palm Beach County Warehouse, 4925 Park Ridge Blvd., Boynton Beach.

Diners will find chefs Lindsay Autry (The Regional Kitchen & Public House, Honeybelle); Ralph Pagano (Naked Taco); Bryce Statham (Blue Moon Fish Co., Spotos Fish & Oyster); and author and pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith preparing the food in the facility’s Community Kitchen along with Feeding South Florida’s director of culinary services, Susan Taves.

Some of the proceeds from the dinner, which is sponsored by Publix Super Markets Charities and Events on the Loose, will go toward Feeding South Florida’s programs, including hunger and poverty advocacy efforts and access to nutritious food for those in need.

“We’re thrilled to host our first-ever ‘Cuisine for a Cause’ fundraiser at our Community Kitchen with some of South Florida’s favorite foodies,” said Feeding South Florida President and CEO Paco Vélez. “This is a fun way for the community to get involved and give back.”

Statham, who is planning a seafood dish for the menu, said the 5,000-square-foot Community Kitchen “creates more opportunities to feed our neighbors in need, and I am honored to be a part of that.

“As a chef, putting food on the table is what I do every day. Food sustains us all in so many ways, both nutritionally and emotionally,” he added. “I have supported Feeding South Florida for many years because, although there is abundance of food and access to it for many in our communities, there are just as many who experience food insecurity and lack of resources to afford nutritional food on a daily basis.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Cuisine for a Cause

WHEN: 6-9 p.m. Oct. 3

WHERE: Feeding South Florida’s Palm Beach County Warehouse, 4925 Park Ridge Blvd., Boynton Beach

COST: $300 a person

INFORMATION: feedingsouthflorida.org/cuisineforacause

NEW YORK (AP) — Above a bodega in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, a mosque congregation hosts iftar, the traditional Islamic end of fast meal, for hundreds of hungry migrants every night during this holy month of Ramadan.

Up north in the Bronx, an imam has turned the two-story brick residence that houses his mosque into a makeshift overnight shelter for migrants, many of them men from his native Senegal.

Islamic institutions in the Big Apple are struggling to keep up with the needs of the city’s migrant population as an increasing number of asylum seekers come from Muslim-majority African countries. The challenge has become all the more pronounced during Ramadan, which began March 11 and ends April 9.

Many mosques have opened their doors to migrants during the daylight hours, becoming de facto day centers where new arrivals can find a quiet place to rest and recover, oftentimes following restless nights sleeping on the streets or in the subway.

Muslim leaders say they’ve stepped up their appeals for donations of money, food, clothing and other supplies in recent days.

“We’re doing what we can do, but we can’t do everything. That’s the bottom line,” said Moussa Sanogo, assistant imam at the Masjid Aqsa-Salam in Harlem, just north of Central Park. “These brothers, they don’t eat enough. They’re starving when they get here. Can you imagine? Starving. In America.”

Imam Omar Niass, who runs Jamhiyatu Ansaru-Deen, the mosque in the Bronx, said providing a place for newly arrived migrants to bed down is the least he can do, even if it has come at great personal expense.

His utility bills have long since outpaced his ability to pay. He estimates he’s behind about $7,000 on the home’s electricity service and another $11,000 on water service.

“In our culture, you can’t deny the people who come to the mosque,” he said on a recent Friday as more than 50 men arrived for afternoon prayers. “We keep receiving the people because they have nowhere to go. If they come, they stay. We do what we can to feed them, to help them.”

The latest migrant surge has seen more than 185,000 asylum seekers arrive in New York City since the spring of 2022, with Africans from majority Muslim nations such as Senegal, Guinea and Mauritania among the top nationalities represented in new cases in federal immigration courts in the state.

New York City’s estimated 275 mosques were among the first places to feel the impact of the African wave, as they’re often migrants’ first stop upon arriving in the city, said Assefash Makonnen, of African Communities Together, a Harlem-based advocacy group supporting African immigrants.

But relying solely on the generosity of faith-based communities — many of which are already struggling to keep afloat — isn’t sustainable in the long run, she said.

Last summer, Democratic Mayor Eric Adams announced to fanfare a program meant to provide funding, security and other support for up to 75 mosques, churches and synagogues that agreed to provide overnight shelter to migrants.

So far, though, just six houses of worship holding around 100 beds have been approved to provide additional space for the more than 64,000 migrants currently housed by the city in hotels and other shelters.

Bishop Matthew Heyd of the Episcopal Diocese of New York said the challenge for many faith-based institutions is that they’re located in older buildings that don’t meet current fire safety standards.

With more “commonsense” regulations, he said, houses of worship are prepared to provide 5,000 additional beds for migrants at a fraction of the cost the city is currently paying to shelter migrants in hotels across the five boroughs.

“We want to be part of the solution to this. We have been before, and can be now,” Heyd said, referring to a network of faith-based shelters that grew in response to the city’s homeless crisis in the 1980s.

Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said the city, in response to the concerns, lowered the maximum number of beds permitted at faith-based shelters earlier this year from 19 to 15, meaning they wouldn’t be required to have sprinkler systems under city building codes.

“We are making changes where we can,” she said. “Obviously the health and safety of the people we are sheltering has to be the priority. You just can’t walk into a church and turn it into a shelter.”

In the Bronx, Niass said he hasn’t given the city program much thought. He also stressed he doesn’t collect rent from the migrants, in contrast to the illegal, dangerously overcrowded migrant boarding houses the city has shut down in recent weeks.

Still, the conditions at the mosque are less than ideal.

On a recent visit, men rested on the floor of a basement prayer room in between the day’s five prayer times. More lounged out in the backyard, where there was a microwave and hot water kettle set up for preparing basic meals, as well as a shed for storing luggage and a row of file cabinets for incoming mail. Near the driveway was a portable toilet covered in a blue tarp that did little to mask the odors that drew swarms of flies.

Malick Thiam, a Senegalese migrant who has been staying at Niass’ mosque for about a month, said he’s thankful for the hospitality but looks forward to finding a place of his own.

The 29-year-old, who arrived in the country in August, said he’s recently started work making late-night food deliveries. He said he typically returns to the mosque as others get up for early morning work shifts, allowing him to avoid conflicts as men jockey over sleeping spots.

“Sometimes they got fighting, sometimes they got many problems,” Thiam said, speaking in clear but at times broken English as he relaxed in the mosque’s backyard. “Living here is not easy. It is difficult. It is very, very difficult.”

Back in Harlem, Alphabacar Diallo is similarly thankful for the support Masjid Aqsa-Salam has provided, but is anxious to get on with his life. Like many others coming for iftar, the 39-year-old migrant from Guinea says he’s still waiting for work authorization some eight months after arriving in the country.

Until then, the mosque provides him a place to keep warm, fed and close to the faith that’s sustained him.

“Without the masjid,” he said in French through a translator, “I don’t know where I’d be.”

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.

Feeding South Florida launched an eight-week food service program for the second consecutive summer. They delivered meals to six sites last year and expanded to nine sites this year throughout Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

GL Homes had 24 volunteers of all ages participate during the Summer of Service event on June 3 to prepare and package breakfast and lunch meals, which will be delivered for children at selected summer camp locations.

GL Homes provided a $10,000 donation to Feeding South Florida toward food to be packaged. The children and teens who volunteered at the GL Summer of Service event made breakfast packages for six weeks, which included cereal and fruit. The adults made 150 chicken caesar wraps as well as 300 ham-and-cheddar meals with carrots.

“The days where we get to volunteer our time, give back to the community and include GL associates as well as their family members and kids are the most gratifying days that I personally have,” said Misha Ezratti, president of GL Homes. “I think a lot of the other executives and people who are here feel the same way. It’s extremely rewarding to see everybody kind of roll up their sleeves on a weekend and contribute. It’s just a feel good day.”

He said GL Homes has a longstanding relationship with Feeding South Florida and will participate in events with the organization throughout the year.

“We all take for granted that you are going to have your next meal,” Ezratti said. “A lot of people, due to cost of living, inflation and a number of reasons, are not guaranteed their next meal. It means a lot more and it hits home when it’s children that you are providing food for. The opportunity for us to kind of step in and fill that gap is tremendous and we jump at any chance we can. A lot of other charities might take a break and things go away for the summer. We try to step up during the summer and kind of fill that void.”

GL Homes COO Marcie DePlaza said she was excited for another opportunity to volunteer with Feeding South Florida. She previously created meals for older residents.

“It just feels so good to bring the employees together and to give back to the community,” she said. “I think it’s amazing and really important to pass on to children to give back to the community so that really makes me feel good. It’s a great initiative. It hits you hard that there are hungry children in South Florida because you do not really fathom that it’s actually happening out there in our community. We feel really good about giving back to the children.”

DePlaza, who has spent 32 years with GL Homes, was joined by her husband during the Summer of Service event. They teamed up to create lunch packages as she scooped the chicken and he made the wraps. She said they both enjoyed volunteering and were able to create a well-balanced meal, which sets a great example for children to make healthy food choices when they get the opportunity. She also said she enjoyed spending time with other colleagues.

“We work collaboratively at GL Homes and that is the culture of the company,” she said. “It moves from building a home, to giving back to the community and working with all different departments. It’s another opportunity for us to interact with employees in a collaborative effort. I love to see people that I would not normally see at the corporate office everyday. The company feels really good about giving back.”

Susan Taves is the director of culinary services at Feeding South Florida. They utilize a large and spacious kitchen where they cook and freeze meals at their location in Boynton Beach. The trained chef is joined by other full-time employees and typically 20 volunteers to prepare and package meals for immobile seniors throughout the year. She said the initial goal last year with a smaller staff was to create 6,000 meals each month for seniors. They have increased their goal from between 10,000 to 15,000 meals each month this year with additional employees and volunteers. They package 10 meals in a box each time in order to provide two weeks of meals for seniors. They focus on creating well-balanced meals without sugar, with low sodium and more calories included.

Feeding South Florida also launched an after-school food service program this past spring for the first time, which included snacks and dinner packages for children. They will continue with the program for the upcoming school year, which will begin in August.

Taves said the organization’s summer food service program has been successful with the assistance of volunteers. The program is designed to help children who have depended on meals at school and who do not have the resources for meals in the summer months. She said the goal is to provide two meals each day for up to 600 children in need. The breakfast packages include cereal and fruit while lunch packages consist of wraps, bento boxes and other well-balanced meals.

“GL homes is a great supporter,” she said. “We rely on them and they work really hard when they are here. They are the backbone of our operation.”

Sarah Alsofrom, GL Homes director of community relations, said the GL Summer of Service program is statewide. They prepared meals in Naples for St. Matthew’s House to assist in the fight against hunger and homelessness. GL Homes also will have a group of volunteers join the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County for a backpack stuffing event this summer for children in need who are heading back to school in August.

Alsofrom said several organizations may place an age restriction on volunteers, but Feeding South Florida provides opportunities for both children and teens to volunteer and receive community service hours.

“Feeding South Florida is a great avenue for parents to be able to send their kids in a safe environment, keep them busy and productive and to appreciate their good fortune by making meals for people who don’t have enough to eat,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity for young people who need those community service hours and to be able to give back and feel good about what you’re doing. It’s a fabulous place to volunteer.”

Visit feedingsouthflorida.org.