Interested in Joining the AtlantiCare Growing Green Chef Council…our plate is never too full. Contact Laura Engelmann for more information. Joining the AtlantiCare Chef Council, is a great way to give back to the community by using your culinary talents to promote healthy lifestyles through gardening and food preparation practices. There are many benefits to participating in this work, which include:
Program Background
AtlantiCare’s Growing Green initiative empowers the community to take charge of its health by offering funds, resources, and education around the creation of access points for fresh, healthy food. By creating school and community gardens (60 to date in our service area), our community is making healthier food choices while simultaneously beautifying open spaces in our neighborhoods and schools.
Mission
The AtlantiCare Growing Green Chef Council is a distinguished group of culinary experts working in the greater Atlantic City area committed to increasing access to healthy food for community members, and providing them with the food preparation skills necessary to lead healthier lives. The Growing Green Chef Council uses its passion, expertise, and circles of influence to support the growth and sustainability of AtlantiCare’s Growing Green initiative.
Benefits
Membership creates positive exposure, visibility, good will, and awareness for the chef and the chef’s restaurant. The restaurant brand will be associated with the betterment of the community’s health and quality of life.
Promotion
AtlantiCare will promote each chef’s participation and contributions in the media (print, web, social media, etc.) throughout the 2 year-membership. In addition, AtlantiCare will develop ways to mutually promote both parties (e.g. in 2012, AtlantiCare will sell a restaurant gift certificate to the community redeemable exclusively at Chef Council member restaurants).
Marketing
AtlantiCare will provide collateral marketing materials to assist chefs in communicating participation and impact in their restaurants and on their websites. These materials will include: logo, cling, “slim jim” brochure, links from/to restaurant website and Growing Green website, and event/program flyers as needed.
Staff Support
AtlantiCare staff will serve as a liaison between the chef and garden site and will provide relationship and event cultivation, communication, and coordination support.
Commitment
Each member chef will agree to the following:
- make a 2-year membership commitment to serving on the Chef Council;
- attend 3 annual group strategy meetings;
- attend at least 1 annual on-site meeting with garden leadership;
- “adopt” a school or community site of his/her choosing;
- conduct a minimum of 1 program per year at that site (e.g. a food cooking demo, bringing gardeners to their restaurant for a tour, etc.); and
- utilize restaurant and connections to raise funds for the Growing Green program in accordance with Chef Council determined fundraising goal.