San Diego native Chef Julie Darling started her nonprofit company Just Call Us Volunteers in 2006 with the mission of providing fresh and nutritious holiday meals to San Diego's homeless population. With the help of generous friends and clients who donated food and time, the organization has since served meals to more than 30,000 people entirely through donations and volunteer help. On September 17, Just Call Us Volunteers will host its 10th anniversary celebration and fundraiser at the Francis Parker Upper School Campus for an evening of tasty samples from the top chefs in America's Finest City, as well as an eclectic array of entertainment, all for a charitable cause.
"My greatest wish on San Diego’s Homeless Awareness Day is that someday in the not-too-distant future it becomes unnecessary to have it," explained Chef Julie Darling, president and founder of Just Call Us Volunteers. "Until then, we should be aware of the homeless in our community not just on one day but every day."
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| Chef Julie Darling |
"For the past ten years, Just Call Us Volunteers has been collaborating with other nonprofits serve free healthy, fresh meals to the least fortunate in our community, continued Chef Julie. "We’re lucky to have the support of dozens of local professional chefs and others in the food service industry, who give generously of their time as well as in kind. I’m sorry to say that although we started by preparing and serving just holiday meals to San Diego County winter shelter residents, now we offer this service year-round through our partnership with the Alpha Project, a nonprofit human services organization that serves over 4,000 homeless men, women, and children each day. It’s unconscionable that the need is growing rather than decreasing. We need real, permanent solutions to homelessness, and until then, we at JCUV will continue to do what we can to make their lives better.”
To celebrate 10 years of serving meals to San Diego's homeless, Just Call Us Volunteers is inviting its closest chef friends and local entertainers for an evening of celebration and fundraising. The Wacky Wingding, a 10th Anniversary celebration will take place from 4-7pm on Saturday, September 17 at the Francis Parker Upper School Campus. Tickets are available online for $90 per person or $120 per couple and include food samples from such chefs as Hanis Cavin of Carnitas Snack Shack, Dawn Parks of Wild Thyme Catering, Alex Carballo of Moto Deli, Joe Burns of WooBars, Dan Nantrass of Fishbone, Martin San Roman of Dobson's, and Davin Waite of Wrench & Rodent. There will als be performances by the Fern Street Circus and Dottie Deville's Burlesque Show, fire twirlers, stilt walkers, face painting, clowns and more.
If you can’t attend Just Call Us Volunteers 10th anniversary fundraiser, please consider making a donation. For more information, visit justcallusvolunteers.org.
