'Social Change Through Food'
Faculty member Susie Ibarra was featured on Vermont Public Radio about her role in a project that uses food waste generated during the Olympic Games in Rio to feed those in need.
The project is titled Refettorio Gastromotiva, and it is the result of a partnership between musicians like Ibarra, and chefs like David Hertz, who brought Ibarra into the project. Ibarra will perform on August 18, providing music to accompany the dinner, which serves people living in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Rio.
The project intends to promote a change in mentality about helping those in need: it's not just for special occasions, but should become a daily occurrence. A statement on the project's website highlights this: "With its launch during the [O]lympic games, we want it to become a legacy for the city," says the group.
Refettorio Gastromotiva also recently received coverage in the Smithsonian, which detailed the project's post-Olympic plans:
"Gastromotiva will keep the Rio restaurant open, using it as a new training facility for its students. They’ll serve lunch to paying customers at lunchtime; they’ll use that money to underwrite free dinners—made with surplus food—for the same needy patrons who are eating there during the Olympics."
As Hertz said, "This is social change through food."