Debra’s Social $timulus Presents “Cooks for a Cause” to Benefit God’s Pantry Food Bank
Normally filled with hundreds of pallets of food for families in need, this Friday night, God’s Pantry Food Bank will look quite different and will heat up with the smells of some delicious cuisine as Debra’s Social $timulus brings its 10th event, “Cooks for a Cause,” to the Food Bank’s Jaggie Fox Way distribution center.
“Cooks for a Cause” will have five teams of five “home cooks” scrambling for one hour to prepare a delicious meal from a mystery box of basic ingredients that a God’s Pantry Food Bank client might typically have access to when visiting one of four emergency food pantries in Lexington. The 25 cooks do not come with a culinary pedigree like those you might see on television’s “Top Chef,” but are Lexingtonians from a variety of backgrounds who really enjoy cooking at home and have an interest in helping the community.
“We are so excited that Debra has come to us with this great event idea,” Food Bank CEO Marian Guinn said. “The Social $timulus events have become great attention-getters for some incredible causes and movements in our community these past few years and we’re pleased that this event will draw attention to the work we’re doing to feed an growing number of families in need here in Lexington and across Central and Eastern Kentucky each day.”
While guests watch the cooking showdown, they will be invited to enjoy a cup of piping hot soup prepared by our distinguished chef judges — Ouita Michel, Beth Hanna, Mamadou Savane, Javier Lanza, Mark Smith, Jill Bakehorn, and Cooper Vaughan — and served by culinary arts students from The Lexington School.
The event, like each of the nine previous Social $timulus events, is free and open to the public. Debra’s Social $timulus was started by Debra Hensley, a local State Farm Insurance agent and Urban County Council member, in 2008 to bring Lexington citizens together and draw attention to great local causes and help support local businesses in the troubled economy.
“I’m very excited about our next Social $timulus event,” organizer Debra Hensley said. “We’ve been all over our community – North, South, East and West. This is a very unique opportunity to see an outstanding nonprofit which does wonderful things across our state.”
Guests will have the chance to support the Food Bank through a unique silent auction which will allow the donor to see and utilize the great purchasing power the Food Bank possesses. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the cooking competition gets underway at 6 p.m.