We’re already halfway through March, and things have been poppin' over here at Spread The Love HQ! Between the release of our new single-serve packets, exhibiting at Expo West again, and collaborations with amazing brands like Four Winters, it’s been tough to keep up with the pace of life lately! But no matter how busy things get, we’re always sure to make time for giving back - it’s a crucial part of our commitment to Spread The Love Forward.
At the end of February, we were thrilled to take part in an event called Taste of St. Joseph Center. This event brought together some of LA’s finest restaurants and food and drink vendors to offer guests an evening of delicious food, cocktails, live chef demos, and music. Most importantly, all proceeds from the event went directly to St. Joseph Center’s Culinary Training Program, a program that enrolls low-income individuals in culinary school and offers internship opportunities, setting them up for success in a career in the food industry. We love St. Joseph Center for so many reasons, most of all because their efforts help to deal with an issue that is very near and dear to our hearts - homelessness. By helping people find good and sustainable jobs, this organization is taking great strides toward keeping families off the streets. The hard working people and organizations like St. Joseph Center, including our friends at PATH, inspire us each and every day, and we are proud to support them in any way we can!
For the event, we partnered with our friends at New York Apple Sales to create a super-delicious treat for our guests: griddled peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with thinly sliced Koru® apples! With the help of Tenley Fitzgerald,
social media director of New York Apple Sales and an amazing student from St. Joseph Center’s culinary program, we assembled the sandwiches in the busy kitchen at the event space, and griddled them fresh at our booth. While it was a little daunting to be placed between two of L.A.’s most delicious restaurants (Huckleberry and The Butcher’s Daughter), people seemed to love our game-changing PB&J creation (It's an amazing combination, if we do say so ourselves). We met so many friendly faces and had the best time sampling other participants’ food - all in the name of a very good cause!
If you haven't heard of St. Joseph Center and all the wonderful programs they provide, be sure to check out their website. We were honored to take part in this event that ended up raised a whopping $60,000, and are so happy to support such a great cause. We hope you can join us next year!