I want to reach more and more audience and sponsors so my vision also for daily free meals and not just weekly, which is now, will be accomplished.
Tanya Seabrooks was my inspiration and the fact that I have been cooking for Ky for 22 years, I always wanted to start a free meal soup kitchen when I retire from the long restaurant hours.
Tanya, was an activist, caring individual who had been doing a luncheon for 4 years because she believed no family or individual, stay hungry Christmas Day.
We honor Tanya Seabrooks and the love she had for his community.
Tanya, passed 3rd December 2020
To honor her, I requested from the Mayor and her family that I would take over the Christmas luncheon and they agreed.
I started preparing it, didn’t know where to start from, who to call and how to get all these people together to volunteer and support financially. People responded, money started coming, turkeys and ham started coming, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, pies everything fell into place in such a rush and short time I probably hadn’t slept but just dreaming awake for 3 weeks.
Then, there is the day of the event. 305 meals 65 volunteers, delivery drivers, cooks, preps, hosts and hostesses Colvin Community Center was a huge bee hive with people.
What a success!!!!!
At the end of the day 39 meals are left ,
I take them with me in the coolers, someone said what are you going to do Maria, you need help? I said I’m going to Duvall Mobile park tomorrow 26 December, knock on doors and give them to people.
So, I and my brother Emmanouil drove noon The Day after Christmas knocked on doors and gave people the meals, the sodas, the desserts, the fruits from the day before
Mary was there from the News Enterprise, taking pictures and asked me, when is going to be the next time you do this again Maria? I said, Mary, I wish I could do this every week. I went home, I brought in my mind all these memories of people opening their doors and grabbing the food with smiles on their faces and immediately I decided to repeat this every Saturday
Since then, we never missed one single Saturday
My program benefits everybody who is in need of free meals and yes, these are real hot meals. I personally cook them using the people’s donations and if I’m missing something I go and buy it
My slogan is “No questions asked. You are hungry, I will feed you”
So far I have cooked and distributed 723 meals
We just changed the distribution day from Saturday to Monday because a lot of volunteers go out of town Saturday once the weather gets warmer
Slowly we will do twice a week until we reach the goal to be daily free meals.
I mean, we all eat every day, 3 times a day, why should these people eat once a week? It doesn’t make sense.
This idea has been in my head like I said for many years but right now was the perfect time to start it because of the virus, people lost their jobs, poverty level, hunger, evictions have been increased sky high and more and more families are struggling. I see it on my phone, all these people calling for help.
We just started our first blessing box as well and the Grand Opening will be the 5th of March at 12.00 pm in my parking lot Chef Maria’s Bazaar 661 S. Wilson Rd Radcliff Ky
Be The Change provides the material and businesses sponsor it and this one is sponsored by The Glass Doctors of Radcliff
We already have 6 businesses on waiting list.
We will build more until we cover a large area in Hardin county so there will be access to food and toiletries at all times.
I’m fortunate to have so many friends from my 22 year restaurant career and personal friends too that are bringing me all kinds of donations including food, clothes and cash.
Yesterday a firefighter from Elizabethtown dropped a whole carload of snacks he bid in an auction and donated them to me
There are good people out there and I see them everyday
Ways to donate
Bring food, clothes, money, toiletries, dry milk, hygiene products, paper towels, formula, anything you can spare, to Chef Maria’s Bazaar 661 S. Wilson Rd. Radcliff or call me 502 821 9275 we will pick up
We take PayPal, Venmo, cashapp
Please, let me know what else you need
Thank you for doing this
I can move mountains
I can save souls
I can change the world
But never without you!!!
Be the change!!!
Join us today.
