Dec 8, 2023

Gift for Life to kick off 2024 fundraising at Atlanta Market events

2024 fundraising for Gift for Life — the gift, stationery and home décor industries’ national charitable organization — will begin at the winter 2024 Atlanta Market, with two activities tied to the new World Central Kitchen (WCK) Cookbook and special connection with the market’s Opening Night Party.

Ari Lowenstein, chair of Gift for Life and owner of Ari’s Pantry, will prepare and serve dishes from the WCK cookbook on Thursday, Jan. 18, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the Darrah and Co showroom (Building 2, Floor 18), and will do a live cooking demonstration from the WCK cookbook on Friday, Jan. 19, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., in the JURA Demonstration Kitchen (Building 2, Floor 8). Attendees at the two events can sample the dishes and qualify to win cookbooks donated by publisher Penguin Random House.

With a contribution of at least $20 to World Central Kitchen’s crisis-related hunger relief efforts, donors will qualify to win one of 50 free copies of the cookbook. On Friday, during the Demonstration Kitchen session, one cookbook personally-signed by celebrity chef and WCK founder Chef Jose Andres will be awarded.

The World Central Kitchen Cookbook is filled with recipes inspired by the places the WCK Relief Team has cooked following disasters and other crises around the world. Each chapter focuses on one of their core values and shares inspiring stories from the chefs, volunteers and communities they’ve helped during times of crisis or conflict. In addition to tasty and nutritious recipes, the book tells the fascinating story of WCK and its network of volunteers and cooks around the world who work to “build longer tables, not higher walls.”

On Thursday, Chef Ari will cook a dish from each of the seven core values and inspirations of WCK as an organization: Empathy (Braised Pork al Pastor): Urgency (Arepas); Adaptation (Reem’s Kafta Bil Bandora); Hope (Ukrainian Borsch); Community (Brook’s Carrot Farro Salad); Resilience (Kamal’s Freekeh); and Joy (The Duchess’s Lemon Olive Oil Cake). On Friday, his live cooking demonstration will showcase the WCK Cookbook’s Arepas, round corn patties that are grilled and eaten in South America, naturally gluten free and more nutritious than most bread.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to create two food and fundraising events centered on raising awareness for World Central Kitchen and their amazing work around the world,” said Lowenstein. “We hope the industry will join us and share this experience!”

As an extension of the cooking events, Atlanta Market’s “Market Kick-Off Party,” on Wednesday, Jan. 17, also will benefit Gift For Life and World Central Kitchen. The event, which runs from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Building 3 Atrium celebrates opening day of the Atlanta Market temporary exhibits with music, drinks and light bites. ANDMORE, owner/operator of Atlanta Market, will match donations, up to $2,500, made to World Central Kitchen.