The local food industry is shaking the hand that feeds it.
The revamped Prince George branch of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association only announced this past week that it was coming out of a years-long hiatus, but they have already made charitable donations to some pet causes.
"We've giving back to the community already," said co-chair Paul Robison. "We were just over at the Employment Action office where we donated $1,500 to help their clients obtain tablet computers for things like resumes, photos of their training and experience, using the computers as a vessel to create employment for these people. Our goal is to increase our industry presence, since many of these people apply for jobs in all aspects of the culinary field, so we help them get the work they need, they help us by becoming our employees, and around it all goes."
In addition to that, the association also announced a donation to the Prince George Community Foundation earmarked for some specific causes.
"The Prince George Community Foundation was delighted to receive three cheques totaling $15,000," said foundation president Ray Noonan.
One $5,000 envelope was provided to the existing College of New Caledonia - Culinary Arts Fund; another $5,000 was provided to start a new endowment fund with the PG Community Foundation that will see proceeds go to The Kordyban Lodge; and the other $5,000 has been set aside to sponsor the 2013 Citizen of the Year dinner gala being held Oct. 18, 2013.
"This is amazing support from a terrific organization," said Noonan. "We are happy to be able to further the goals of the association by having them place their funds with us. This shows the confidence they have in the work the Prince George Community Foundation does in the community."
Restaurant association co-chair Mary Jarbek said the funds all came from past events like the Phanton Dinner and Taste of Prince George that the group used to hold regularly, and still had some proceedsheld in trust for just such a time of revival.