Allsaints Event Space set the scene last night for a most charming and delicious fundraiser that brought Ottawa’s culinary community together with artisanal beverage producers, local butchers and food connoisseurs to raise awareness and money for a charity that may fall under many people’s radar, YouTurn Youth Support Services.
The outdoor event was held on the terrace of allsaints’ Working Title Kitchen. As the sky grew dark, the patio lights shone brightly. Music softly filled the air. It felt like a magical little gathering in the corner of Sandy Hill, surrounded by city life.
Harvest: A Feast of Fall was produced by Robin Duetta, whose great relationship with the local foodservice industry has resulted in his creation of and contribution to many wonderful food and beverage fundraisers over the years, including Taste for Hope for the Shepherds of Good Hope and the garden party benefits that the Ottawa Humane Society used to host.
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Among the chefs to support the Harvest event were David Godsoe (Restaurant E18hteen), Jesse Brett Bell (A Rogue Chef who had some help from his old boss Stephen La Salle), Joe Thottungal‘s team (Coconut Lagoon/Thali), Justin Champagne-Lagarde (Perch), Ricci Binch (Working Title Kitchen), Michael Radford and Jef Charlebois (Harmons Steakhouse), David Vinoya (Marriott Garden Inn/Tulip), Pat Riggins (Riggins Family BBQ), Jordan Holley (Buvette Daphnee), Ben Baird (Pelican Seafood Market & Grill), Kenton Leier and Connor McQuay (National Arts Centre), Paolo Di Bello (Starling), chef/owners Warren Sutherland and Dave Neil (Piggy Market), Adam Weiss and his team from Bibi’s Middle Eastern Kitchen, and Ric Watson and his culinary team from The Ottawa Mission’s social enterprise Chef Ric’s. Beverage partners included Kichesippi Beer Co., Nickel Brook Brewing Co., Saunders Cider from Saunders Farm and Casa-Dea Estates Winery and Dunrobin Distillery.
Local chefs are one the most giving groups in Ottawa, Duetta said of their support of countless charity events. “Their contributions are certainly well over a million dollars a year for our community. Each one of them, as an individual business, might not be able to do that but, collectively, they make up one of the most philanthropic organizations in the city.”
An event like Harvest: A Feast of Fall depends heavily on the benevolence of the restaurants, he acknowledged. “I never would have been able to create a night like this if it weren’t for the chefs.”
There’s definitely an element of mutual respect, since all the participating restaurants that OBJ.social spoke with mentioned Duetta as a major reason for their involvement in Harvest: A Feast of Fall.
“Robin and I go way back,” said Michael Radford, executive chef of the Whalesbone restaurant group, which includes Harmons Steakhouse on Elgin Street. “When he calls, you come.”
Also key to the chefs’ support was the charity aspect. “It’s always nice to be able to give back,” said David Godsoe, executive chef of Restaurant E18hteen. While it is extra work, it’s nothing compared to the daily grind of running restaurants, he pointed out. “And, YouTurn is a fantastic organization.”
As well, there’s the social aspect. For top chefs such as Kenton Leier from National Arts Centre’s 1 Elgin Restaurant, he enjoys being able to step away from the kitchen in order to meet with the public and mix with friends from the industry. “It’s nice to get out in the community, see a lot of lovely faces and to connect with people,” said Leier.
The evening does give chefs the chance to network and to raise the profile of their respective restaurant, which may result in attendees choosing to eat there the next time they dine out, said Duetta. “There’s no better marketing than to hand someone your dish and talk about your food and the philosophy behind your restaurant.”
Among the hundreds of attendees was culinary expert, business protocol and etiquette instructor Margaret Dickenson, who raved about the quality of the dishes. She attended with her daughter, Christa Dickenson, president and CEO of CPAC.
Feeling “lucky and privileged” to be the beneficiary was Marisa Moher, executive director of YouTurn Youth Support Services, a non-profit organization that helps struggling youth turn their lives around.
Last year, YouTurn served 397 local youth, some of whom were involved in the criminal justice system. The organization helps its clients reduce their risk for recidivism and of ending up in trouble with the law again.
The majority of YouTurn’s 26-person staff is front-line workers with backgrounds in child and youth social work, psychology and psychotherapy. They make it a priority to go and meet with their clients, whether it’s at their home, school, a probation office or some other safe location, as a way of breaking down barriers, Moher explained.
What YouTurn doesn’t have is a budget for a fundraising coordinator. “We would never, ever be able to put this on without Robin and his team; it’s incredible,” Moher told OBJ.social. “It almost feels like a dream.”
While YouTurn has been around since 1988, it started adding some more programs about 10 years ago. It also offers support to young people involved in human trafficking and sexual exploitation through a program that’s grown by 60 per cent since it was launched in 2016, said Moher.
As well, YouTurn helps young people transitioning out of the child welfare system to overcome such challenges as finding housing and jobs and building the right skills to live independently as young adults, said Moher.
“A lot of them don’t have strong family connections, and that’s not just with our child welfare program; it’s with all of our programs,” she explained. “They come from really complex trauma backgrounds. The first thing our staff do is build relationships; they build relationships so that they can build some trust with the youth, so they can actually do clinical work.”
The process takes time, she added. “We know they come from backgrounds where they’re very distrustful, and we understand, and we understand it’s going to take a little longer.”
