When Elias Bitar, Chef and owner of Norma’s Restaurant in Cherry Hill, was approached about making meals for Afghan evacuees arriving in Philadelphia, he knew he wanted to help but had to figure out how. With a 300-square-foot kitchen, he couldn’t produce hundreds, if not thousands, of meals daily and still operate a restaurant. He needed a partner with the capacity to produce a high volume of meals day after day. That’s where our team at Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK) stepped in.
Together with our incredible volunteers, Elias and our chefs at PCK met the challenge of providing the maximum number of meals in the shortest amount of time. Within 48 hours, using PCK’s new, state-of-the-art production kitchen, the team started producing hundreds of meals a shift, often surpassing 1,000 meals a day.
While this response alone is something to be proud of, we are also able to demonstrate our commitment to providing diverse and culturally appropriate foods for all the people we serve through these meals. The team is making hot dishes like those that can be found in Afghan cuisine, such as lamb with seasoned rice and vegetables, roast beef and farro salad, and more.
We are proud to provide some small comfort during uncertain times
and will continue to do all that we can to help meet this new need.
Interested in joining us?
Volunteers are needed to help prepare and package meals during the following times:
- Monday – Friday from 11:45 – 3:00pm and 2:45 – 6:00pm
- Saturday and Sunday from 8:00am – 12:00pm and 12:00pm – 4:00pm
You can learn more and sign up for shifts here.
Read more about these efforts and others by checking out stories by Fox 29 and the Burlington County Times.
