In celebration of National Food Service Employee Day on Sept. 25, the Children’s and Family Justice Center (CFJC) would like to recognize the food services team.

The team provides CFJC youth all their nutritional needs and operate under the National School Lunch Program guidelines. They are being recognized for all their outstanding efforts during COVID-19, the winter snow in March, and for working diligently with minimal staffing levels, particularly throughout this year. Every challenge has been met with professionalism and pride, a desire for continuous improvement, and a passion to build on already excellent food services.  For the first time, the CFJC would like to recognize the food service team for the value they bring to the youth served every day. 

Currently, the CFJC food service team includes four staff: Luc Ta, Diosdado Dato, Joe Gorham, and Guru Sigdel.

The food services team is quite skilled, with a combined 160 plus years in the food service industry. This expertise is shown in how most food is prepared from scratch, and the ways in which the team regularly provide many special diets and meals for other CFJC staff and events. During a regular seven-day period, the team utilizes utilize approximately 145 pounds of fresh produce and 160 pounds of protein, both animal and plant.

The team comes from a wide variety of interests and backgrounds, but together are proud of the opportunity to serve youth and colleagues at the CFJC. One team member owns and operates a family restaurant, two are dedicated cat owners, and one is a garage afficionado who enjoys working on cars. Combined, the group has language abilities in Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Nepali, and two dialects of Filipino. The team ranges in age from 27 to 70 “years young,” and all enjoy cooking and providing three delicious meals a day, plus two snacks. The team can make everything from curries and casseroles, to burgers, and of course, pizza. Whipping up special event and holiday meals are also enjoyed by the youth, and as they look forward to mealtime, it is their positive responses and feedback which give great value to what the CFJC food services team do.

Join us in recognizing and thanking the CFJC food services team, and all food service employees, on Saturday, Sept. 25.