PERREAULT Magazine SEPT | OCT 2016 | Page 59

Perreault Magazine - 59 -

In our case, we use food that’s wasted, people who are undervalued, kitchens that are underutilized and an army of volunteers itching to make a difference. More to the point, we look to address the deeper hunger…that longing we all have to be included, needed and purposeful.

SK: You write in your book titled Begging for Change that the social sector is “entering one of the most critical junctures in our nation’s history.” What changes do you see and/or predict in the future?

RE: The first change involves the aging Baby Boom generation. Everyday, 10,000 people turn 70, and as time passes, more and more will not be financially

prepared for the extra years science will give them. We can barely meet the need now, so now is the time to develop new models that nourish, engage and uplift our elders. Second is the next generation of donors, who won’t have the resources, or the inclination to give to charity the way their parents and grandparents did. Time, and everyday commerce will be their philanthropy. So I see need escalating, while the resources we need to meet the need will be decreasing.

SK: What is the core mission of L.A. Kitchen?

RE: The best place to start is always in our own home. We all shop with our eyes, and often buy way too much, and end up throwing it away.