YOU'RE WATCHING LOCAL NEWS NETWORK DURANGO.
I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE.
WHEN THE WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER HANDED OUT
AWARDS DURING MEN WHO GRILL LAST JUNE, THE
WINNER OF THE JUDGES' CHOICE AWARD WAS A GRILLED
LAMB TACO PREPARED BY THE MANNA SOUP KITCHEN.
WE WANTED TO KNOW JUST WHO PREPARED THE AWARD-WINNING
FOOD, SO WE HEADED TO MANNA TO FIND OUT.
SHAEANON, OUR CHEF, IS JUST AN AMAZING CULINARY,
IT JUST SKILLED I WANTED TO SAY CHEF AGAIN,
BUT YOU KNOW, HE'S JUST AMAZING, AND WHAT
HE DOES
SEANAN CULLOTY IS A FORMALLY TRAINED CHEF
WHO SPENT SEVEN YEARS AS THE EXECUTIVE CHEF
AT KEN AND SUE'S IN DURANGO BEFORE MAKING
THE RADICAL CHANGE TO THE MANNA SOUP KITCHEN
ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
DURING OUR VISIT, CHEF CULLOTY AND HIS STAFF
OF VOLUNTEERS PREPARED PASTA WITH SAUTEED
CHICKEN AND SWISS CHARD PICKED FROM MANNA'S
GARDEN.
HE NEVER ORDERS ANY FOOD AS HE DID IN THE
RESTAURANT BUSINESS.
ALL HIS MENUS ARE BASED ON THAT DAY'S DONATIONS
AND WHAT'S READY TO HARVEST FROM THE GARDEN.
MY GOAL IS TO PACK AS MUCH NUTRITION INTO
SOMETHING WHERE ANYBODY COULD EAT IT ,WHERE
IT'S NOT, TOO, YOU KNOW, TOO FANCY, OR, YOU
KNOW, AS TOO MUCH OF THIS, TOO MUCH OF THAT,
TRYING TO MAKE IT BALANCE BUT YET LIKE INCORPORATE
A LOT OF STUFF THAT PEOPLE HAVEN'T TRIED BEFORE.
AND YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF GIVE MANNA LIKE
A FRESH KIND OF FACE ON WHAT A SOUP KITCHEN
IS AND TO MAKE IT MORE OF LIKE A COMMUNITY
KITCHEN, FEEL MORE THAN JUST A PLACE WHERE
PEOPLE SERVE SOUP OUT OF A CUP, YOU KNOW MORE
OF KIND OF LIKE A BALANCED MEAL
MANNA SOUP KITCHEN OFFERS MEALS SEVEN DAYS
A WEEK AND INCLUDES BREAKFAST ON WEEKDAYS
AND BRUNCH ON THE WEEKENDS; LUNCHES FOUR DAYS
A WEEK, AND DINNER ON WEDNESDAYS.
IT PROVIDES WEEKEND FOOD FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN
THROUGH AT TAKE-HOME BACK-PACK PROGRAM.
AND IT OFFERS A NUMBER OF SUPPORT SERVICES,
FROM ASSISTING CLIENTS WITH OBTAINING LEGAL
IDENTIFICATION TO ACCESSING MENTAL HEALTH
AND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE THROUGH AXIS HEALTH
SYSTEMS.
THE 34-YEAR-OLD NON-PROFIT OPERATES WITH A
STAFF OF SEVEN AND AN ARMY OF 500 VOLUNTEERS.
WE WANT TO BE THAT HELPING HAND THAT HELPS
PEOPLE BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT.
WHILE MANNA SERVES AS A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR
THE AREA'S HOMELESS RESIDENTS AND OTHERS IN
NEED, FEEDING PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE AT THE
HEART OF THE MANNA SOUP KITCHEN'S MISSION.
AND FEEDING PEOPLE IS A PASSION FOR BOTH CULLOTY
AND MORSE.
FOR CHEF CULLOTY, IT'S ABOUT PREPARING GOOD
FOOD FOR DINERS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE
ACCESS TO A NUTRITIOUS MEAL.
ONE OF THE FUNNEST THINGS ABOUT WORKING HERE
IS THE DONATIONS AND THE GARDEN AND HOW YOU
ASSEMBLE ALL THAT TOGETHER.
AND, YOU KNOW ,EVERYTHING THAT GETS DONATED
IS SO CLOSE TO BEING ON THE RISK OF NOT BEING
ABLE TO USE, AND HOW DO YOU USE IT BEFORE
IT GOES BAD?
SO IT'S LIKE A COOL CHALLENGE I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED
BEFORE ,AND NOT HAVING LIKE AN ORDER GUIDE,
OR YOU KNOW, NOT BEING LIKE ORDERING CERTAIN
THINGS, IT'S LIKE, IT'S JUST SO MUCH FUN AND
CREATIVITY INVOLVED IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE
MENU FOR THE WEEK OR,AND THEN THINGS CHANGE
,SO IT KEEPS ME ON MY TOES.AND THEN ,YOU KNOW,
BEING A PART OF THE COMMUNITY, BEING ABLE
TO GO DO LIKE MEN WHO GRILL OR SOUP FOR THE
SOUL AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHERE NORMALLY
I'M IN THE KITCHEN, YOU KNOW ,ON A FRIDAY
NIGHT, NOW I GET TO GO OUT AND BE A PART A
LOT OF THESE FUNDRAISERS, WHICH I REALLY ENJOYED.
FOR MORSE, WHO OWNED THE LOST DOG IN DOWNTOWN
DURANGO BEFORE SHE WAS FORCED TO CLOSE OVER
A LEASE DISAGREEMENT, IT'S ALL ABOUT OFFERING
PEOPLE A RESPITE FROM LIFE THROUGH THE PLEASURE
OF EATING A GOOD MEAL.
THROUGH THE RESTAURANT, THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS
WANTED TO BRING WAS BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER,
HELPING PEOPLE AND FEEDING PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE DO HERE AT MANNA.
AND FOOD IS JUST SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WAY.
WE ALL NEED FOOD TO SURVIVE, BUT ALSO ,YOU
KNOW, I THINK REALLY WHEN YOU'RE EATING, YOU'RE
ENJOYING YOURSELF AND YOU BREAK DOWN THOSE
BARRIERS SO PEOPLE CAN COMMUNICATE BETTER.
MORSE SAYS THAT MANNA CAN ALWAYS USE HELP
WITH FINANCIAL DONATIONS OR FROM VOLUNTEERS
TO HELP IN THE GARDEN OR KITCHEN.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MANNA OR
TO HELP WITH ITS PROGRAMS, VISIT MANNA SOUP
KITCHEN DOT ORG.
THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF LOCAL
NEWS NETWORK DURANGO.
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IT AGAIN, VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT DURANGO TV
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AROUND TOWN.
I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE FOR LOCAL NEWS NETWORK
DURANGO.
