Chef Tim August Takes Over Dara Feeding Program for the Day!

Chef Tim August of Stone Crab Bar and Grill in Dangriga took over the Dara Feeding Programme in Belize City on Tuesday. As you know, Joel ‘Dara’ Robinson and his wife cook hot meals for fifty plus children from neighbouring schools. Many of the children are from underprivileged homes and often times the only meal they eat is from the programme. The feeding programme, as we showed you a few weeks back, was struggling, so August decided to help out for the day. He funded and prepared the meals. We stopped by to check out the special treat. Here’s the story with Andrea Polanco.

Andrea Polanco, Reporting

The students in Dara’s Feeding Program got a special treat on Tuesday. Guest Chef Tim August took over lunch for the day. August and his team worked to pull off a menu that featured his signature breadfruit fries for the fifty students.

Tim August

Tim August, Chef

“We have prepared something very special. We know kids love mac and cheese, nuggets and fingers and wings, along with some other things and some nice bread pudding and some juice in the back.  We got up very early this morning, from seven o’clock because we wanted to do everything fresh, so me, Ari, her mom and Juliet got up and we teamed up.”

…and by eleven-thirty the students started trickling in. August and his team served lunch and the students enjoyed their delicious meal – with most of them asking for a second serving. August says he heard Dara’s plea for help and decided to use his skills to contribute to the feeding programme. He hopes that his kind act will encourage others to support this kind of grassroots initiative.

Tim August

“I heard Dara’s cry for a little assistance and I am not the guy with a lotta money so I am just giving back what I can give, which is as a chef I can prepared a decent meal and I am sure the kids will love what I did.  Growing up as a kid, I didn’t have these opportunities and so I want to change that for some. I know there are some unfortunate kids who go to school hungry and that shouldn’t be. We live in a country where there is an abundance of food and everybody should be living a good life. The whole plan is to encourage other chefs like myself or other small businesses who want to give back something to do this. They don’t have to come here physically but they can prepare the food and bring it over.  This is the month of love and we can do something special. This is a good program to start.”

Joel ‘Dara’ Robinson was touched by the kind act. He and his wife got a much needed break for the day and they welcomed the support.

Joel ‘Dara’ Robinson

Joel ‘Dara’ Robinson, Founder, The Dara Feeding Programme

“I welcome the brethren on the level of how he cook. So, the children should enjoy a nice meal today. I feel blessed, brethren. On behalf of Dara and the kids, I feel blessed.”

Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.