How the people of Syracuse create and maintain community through preparing and sharing food.
Syracuse is home to a diverse set of communities, tucked into 26 square miles of city. What fuels these communities is a broad spectrum of restaurants, social programs and motivated individuals who use food to serve others. What binds them together is a sense of belonging and a belief that the people of Syracuse are worth supporting. This story is about individuals who love their city by sharing a meal with those people and use their influence to build kinship. It's a story of hope for Syracuse's future.
"We are Syracuse People. We are a part of this community, and this community is a part of our lives"
- Max Chutinthranond, Owner and Chef at Lemon Grass
"Our guests include both the young and not so young, those who are well educated and those who are not... Men, women & children who have in common their humanity, their poverty and their sincere gratitude for a place of safety, warmth and a nutritious meal."
- Courtesy of samcenter.org
"Food is better shared. Food tastes better when you're engaged around a story and you understand where it comes from. [The Restaurant] has given me the broadest reach for helping as many people as I can in a short amount of time."
- Abigail Henson, Owner. Courtesy of ediblefingerlakes.com.
"The Center's mission is to provide our students with the opportunity to learn a skill that can support them for life."
- Courtesy of syracusecityschools.com
"You can't just be academic. You have to get involved in their lives."
- Ed Phelan, Instructor & Chef.
"We want to get the local in. Our mission at the end of the day is to make connections. I'm inspired by local people who work as hard as I do, and at the end of the day, the cost doesn't matter. We'll make it happen to keep it local and keep it in the area. We work hard for Syracuse."
- Rich Strub, Head Chef.
"I enjoy getting to know my clients, and over the years we've built a relationship. That's why I've been coming for 30 years. I love it"
- Chungchi Cha, Volunteer.
"Meals on Wheels serves a need in the community that's not being met by other organization. I think senior hunger and isolation is a big problem across the country . . . Our volunteers are often the only human contact that our meal recipients have during the day. In a lot of ways we're a lifeline to the community. We're not only delivering nutrition, we're delivering smiles."
- Dave Allen, Community Relations Director.
"I thought, we should meet these people and have a party."
- Adam Sudmann, Creator.
"We need to build community and make it stronger. For me this is a big passion, and it's important to help others be open minded of immigrants"
- Somayyeh Alizadeh
"We support local. Both the carrots and the hops are from down the road. Anything we can buy from the Syracuse area, we do. It keeps the money here."
"There's been a ton of local growth in the last three to four years. I hope that we continue to grow and make this a better town. Stop looking at the negatives and look at what we can do to make it better. It's people like you and me that can make a difference."
-Matt Riddett, Head Chef.
"[Becoming Head Chef], It wasn't about the money anymore, now it's about making myself happy and this makes me happy. It's local, it's small, but during the summer hours we're extremely busy . . . It doesn't feel like you're working. I'm having fun!"
- Keith Loveless, Head Chef of Liehs & Steigerwald's downtown location. Coursesy of Salt & Snow Magazine.
"We want to be a part of the new downtown renaissance by filling a gap in what people down here need . . . If we're successful, we will become an integral part of the way people are living and working in downtown Syracuse."
-Jeff Steigerwald, Liehs & Steigerwald's co-owner. Courtesy of syracuse.com
"We serve lunch to about 150 to 180 people every Sunday, 52 weeks out of the year. We have great fellowship through the meal. It's a great opportunity to open newcomer's hearts."
"As a cook, we learn and practice how to serve people in Christ. There are many people who help prepare the meal, and with that help we can have unity. We can follow God's command to 'love and serve each other'."
-Yunhee Kim, Secretary at the Korean Church of Syracuse.