Join Our Team!

Photo by Allison Gates, allisongates.com

Our third co-director, Briana Kohlbrenner, is stepping down from her position. It’ll be impossible to replace her, but Stasya and Annalena are going to try! Think you may be interested in the role?  Check out the details here and submit your resume and cover letter by June 30th.

The Forget-Me-Nots Chorus starts this weekend!!

The 5^th DISHES winners, the Forget-Me-Nots chorus, will begin the first of three ten-week sessions this Sunday, May 4^th at Menorah Park at 3pm.  The session runs for 10 weeks, and a concert will take place on June 29^th at 2pm, so mark your calendars!! 

Anyone in Central New York is invited to join.  The chorus is free for care givers and their loved ones with dementia or Alzheimer’s.  The only requirement is that participants love to sing and can handle a one-hour rehearsal.  Each week a social hour begins from 3-3:30 in the lobby, and the rehearsal is from 3:30-4:30.  Rehearsals will include vocal warm-ups, breathing exercises, and songs that are stimulating, rhythmically driven, and energetic, resulting in the joy of singing.  Francine Berg, who will lead the chorus, has experience as a choral director during her 35 years of public school music teaching, and has worked for 6 years at various dementia facilities.  There will also be a professional accompanist, a social worker, and an activities assistant helping out during the rehearsals. 

The chorus is a great way for family members to spend time and connect with their loved ones with Alzheimer’s.  The chorus also aims to make the community aware that people with dementia can live productive and fulfilling lives, as well as spread awareness about Alzheimer’s disease.  If you’re interested in participating, contact Francine at songberg@hotmail.com

Fifth DISHES a sold-out success!

The fifth DISHES dinner was a great success with plenty of delicious food and drinks to go around, great music, and fun and inspiring presentations and conversation.  Our $1,000 mini-grant was awarded to the Forget-Me-Nots, a chorus for persons with dementia and their caregivers!  And...we surprised the audience by awarding a second place $250 prize to Westside Walks! 

Thanks to all who attended , volunteered, helped, presented, supported, and donated - we're so grateful! We also want to wish the best of luck to the other presenters- we know they are also going to contribute to Syracuse and accomplish great things.  

Photo by Allison Gates, allisongates.com

Photo by Allison Gates, allisongates.com

DISHES is TONIGHT!!

Are you excited yet?! We sure are. DISHES is tonight!! Our chefs are already working hard in the kitchen, decorations are up, and presenters are getting ready. We can't wait!!  Thanks everyone for another sold out dinner. See you tonight!

Thanks to our Local Farms!

Our incredible chefs are cooking up a rustic, hearty, farm-to-table style menu for tomorrow! In fact, they are already in the kitchen getting food prepped as this is being written. As usual, we'll have delicious options for our gluten free/vegan guests. And for the carnivores, we're cooking up creative dishes too!

Our chefs wouldn't be able to make the amazing food they do if it wasn't for the generous support of many of our local farms and businesses.  We thanked several of those farms two weeks ago, but we want to give a special thanks to the rest of them. 

Common Thread Community Farm has generously donated yellow onions, green cabbages, beets, and watermelon radishes! If you're hungry for some gorgeous fresh produce in your life, sign up for a 2014 CSA share with them and pick up your produce weekly at the Syracuse drop off site.

Di Lauro's Bakery and Pizzeria have donated ten loaves of bread for our dinner! They are right around the corner from the St Clare Theater.  Di Lauro's is a great Italian bakery that has been there for over 100 years!

Horsford Farms has provided some delicious potatoes and onions that are being sliced and diced this very minute!

Grindstone Farm has generously donated several all natural, pasture raised, free-range chickens and turkeys. Grindstone offers a variety of ways you can order directly from the farm, year-round, and they offer a variety of produce, dairy, meat, and other products. 

Main Street Farms has given us 15 pounds of delicious tender greens! They are an urban aquaponics farm, organic plant nursery, and education center, located in Homer, NY. Thanks Small Potatoes Sales & Marketing for connecting us with them! 

Serving Wagner Valley Brews and Wines!

We want to give a great big thanks to Wagner Valley Brewing Co for providing beer AND wine this year! If you haven't been to their Winery & Brewery on Seneca Lake for beer and wine tastings, well, what are you waiting for?!?  Briana and Raymie (our co-director and co-chef!) had a great time visiting last summer, taking in the amazing views, and of course, the amazing wine!  We are so grateful for Wagner's generous donation to this year's dinner and for supporting the DISHES effort since the beginning.

Sponsor Spotlight: 40 Below!

We want to thank 40 Below for generously sponsoring our 5th DISHES dinner! 40 Below was created to connect, engage, and empower young adults in Central New York.  The organization aims to make CNY a more vibrant place, restore pride in our community, and harness the collective strength of our communities to make positive change. Hard not to see why they make such a great partner!

There's always something happening with 40 Below, like their annual New Year's Eve party, Speed Networking Events, and the recent Food Truck Festival.  They also have the Civic Engagement, It's All Here, and Public Arts Task Forces.  And if you're an entrepreneur or freelancer, you should stop by their CoWorks space downtown.

Check out their facebook page or sign up for weekly emails on their website to keep up with what's happening. Or join one of their Task Forces to get more involved!