Treasure Island Job Corps Chef Discusses Student Nutrition at Washington Summit
Visits White House Food Garden, Competes against Other Job Corps Chefs

9/16/2011 – Cafeteria Manager Ray Galicia of Treasure Island Job Corps joined other Job Corps chefs from across the country in the nation’s capital to share creative ways to serve more nutritious food to Treasure Island Job Corps students. The chefs were part of the second annual “Job Corps’ Top Chefs: Creating Healthy and Nutritious Food Services” summit held in Washington, DC, on Sept 13-15. A highlight of the summit was a discussion with White House Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass. Kass guided a personal tour of the White House Kitchen Garden, which First Lady Michelle Obama started as part of her “Let’s Move” campaign to fight childhood obesity. Kass talked with the chefs about how they can begin or expand gardens at their own centers.

Treasure Island Job Corps; in alignment with the First Lady’s efforts, recently reaped first fruits of harvest from the Treasure Island Job Corps One Acre “Michelle Obama Green Acre.” The farm is aptly named after the First lady in honor of her efforts towards healthy eating.

The summit ended with a “Top Chef”-style competition, where participants teamed up to create healthy, flavorful meals in the Lounge 201 kitchen on Capitol Hill, using ingredients purchased from a local farmers market in DC. The competition was sponsored by the National Job Corps Association (NJCA) and Sodexo, Inc., a leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Sodexo delivers On Site Service Solutions in corporate, education, health care, government and remote site segments.

Treasure Island Job Corps Center is one of 124 centers in Job Corps, a unique national program that provides a safe environment for unemployed, undereducated, low-income youth to prepare for successful careers or further education.

“Because Job Corps is a residential experience, Job Corps chefs have an important responsibility to provide three nutritious meals a day for 60,000 students and also to teach the healthy lifestyle choices young people can use throughout their lives,” said LaVera Leonard, President of the NJCA. “Job Corps is committed to helping young people learn the lifestyle skills and career training they need to be healthy, well-rounded, active economic contributors to their communities.”

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LIST OF WINNING TEAMS AND DISHES:

ENTRÉE (Chicken Breast with Goat Cheese, Pear and Fig)
Tammy Jones, Little Rock Job Corps Center, Arkansas
Margaret Shay, Alaska Job Corps Center, Alaska
Stacey Smith, Kittrell Job Corps Center, North Carolina

SIDE DISH (Mac & Cheese with Broccoli)
Georgia Watts, Woodstock Job Corps Center, Maryland
Beth Thompson, Grafton Job Corps Center, Massachusetts
Janice Crayton, Joliet Job Corps Center, Illinois

DESSERT (Sweet Potato Bread Pudding)
Tammie Henderson, North Texas Job Corps Center, Texas
Pat Espinosa, Denison Job Corps Center, Iowa
Henry Whitten, Jacobs Creek Job Corps Center, Tennessee
Marileta Terwilliger, Hartford Job Corps Center, Connecticut