The International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) and The J.M. Smucker Co. are pleased to announce two organizations—Feed Anne Arundel and Light House Bistro—as the recipients of IFEC’s fifth annual Food For Good Award. Both were recognized at IFEC’s 2021 Annual Conference, October 25–27, 2021, in Annapolis, MD, and each received a $1,000 donation.

In the earliest days of the pandemic, Annapolis restaurateur Monica Alvarado, Bread and Butter Kitchen, sprung into action. She created a collaborative effort to organize and compensate restaurants to provide emergency meals throughout Maryland’s 588 square mile Anne Arundel County, helping them to stay open and retain staff. “Our first conversations were on a Tuesday, and by Saturday we were prepping and distributing hundreds of meals,” Alvarado recounts. More than 100 restaurants, from quick-serve to fine dining, participated, and today the initiative continues to help area families in crisis at regular distribution sites and as part of emergency response efforts, such as the aftermath of the August tornado that touched down in Annapolis.

For more than 30 years, The Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center has worked to help rebuild lives with compassion by empowering people toward employment, housing and self-sufficiency. In 2017, the organization repurposed an original shelter location into the Light House Bistro, which gives people with employment barriers the opportunity to learn, while developing a resume and earning a living wage. In 2020, the organization distributed more than 305,000 pounds of healthy pantry items, in addition to some 80,000 meals.

The Food for Good Awards were gratefully accepted by Alvarado and Beth Rocca, director of Light House Bistro Social Enterprises.

Sponsored by The J.M. Smucker Co. Away From Home division, the Food for Good award is designed to shine light on nonprofit organizations whose work with food is making significant contributions to improving lives in the communities they serve. This year’s recipients were selected from the Annapolis, Maryland, area where the 2021 IFEC annual conference was held. The host city changes annually, and local organizations will continue to be recognized in years to come.

“At Smucker, we are proud to be known for providing quality products and creative business solutions through our Away From Home channel but we are equally committed to supporting the communities where we live and work,” said Tim Wayne, vice president and general manager, Away From Home, The J.M. Smucker Co. “In this spirit, we are thrilled to support the Food for Good Award and to have the opportunity to celebrate Feed Anne Arundel and the Light House Bistro. These organizations have improved the lives of families in the greater Annapolis area while inspiring others to take a more active role in assisting those in the community.”

For more info from Smucker Away From Home, please visit smuckerawayfromhome.com.