Why on earth would you donate to C-CAP? Le deuxieme

So the next thing Sharman Hickman pointed out (after she mentioned those dozens and dozens of eggs broken up for omelets) was this:

“I think C-CAP’s done an excellent job in raising the standards of (culinary) education, and exposing the kids to all the opportunities available in the food industry.

“It’s an incalculable benefit – it’s huge in terms of helping them understand all of the potential they own!”

That’s what keeps Chef Alan Zeman working with C-CAP, too.

“I’ve been so impressed with the kids, and the program,” he says.

“It is so cool to see young, interested students – when I talk to these students, it’s an investment in time. (More) people (in the industry) should see these students – they’re the future of the industry.

“I wish more could see the kids getting so involved. They’re just the kind of young employee people are looking for, with the right attitude and an enthusiasm for their profession.”

Last winter, Chef Zeman presented a full workshop highlighting the multiple features of the RATIONAL® SelfCooking Center® (yes, it cooks food – not you!) along with a rapid-fire introduction to knife skills at the Arizona Restaurant Supply presentation center near Tucson.

“C-CAP helps students gain an introduction to a life-long career,” says Christine Federico and her colleagues at Arizona Restaurant Supply.

“Even the students who don’t win a scholarship may find a vocation they can become passionate about and pursue on their own.”

Many C-CAP students have never before considered educational possibilities beyond high school, and just as many may never have considered their job at a burger joint as an introduction to a life-long career.

Still more are among the first students in their extended families to see a path to further education.

C-CAP offers that – and that’s why it is critical to have not simply financial donations but a commitment in time and mentoring from professionals in every part of the food and hospitality industry involved.

The money matters – but time, as they say, is money and can count as a real investment, too.

(oh, yes – there’s still more to come from this month’s from-the-reporter’s notes)

Why on earth would you donate to C-CAP?

We could simply say it’s a popular trend among the professionals in Arizona’s food and hospitality industry.

We might also note that C-CAP provides a vital link between high school vocational programs and a realm of challenging, well-paying careers.

Or, we could just point you toward the September edition of Restaurateur of Arizona. This month’s C-CAP update focuses on just a few of C-CAP’s industry donors – and we have just a few more notes to share here.

If, for example, you’d like to talk “farm to table,” give Sharman Hickman a call. Her family’s egg farm was delivering eggs around Phoenix – right from the farm! – years before anyone ever thought eggs came from anywhere but a farm.

And they’ve been working with C-CAP almost as long.

“My parents used to attend (the annual) chef’s ball,” Sharman recalls. “We all just kept in touch.”

And so, it was just a natural step for Sharman to get her family involved again when she was asked about helping out with C-CAP.

“They spend a lot of time on eggs in this competition,” she notes, “and one of my best friends is a chef.”

“We often try to get out of our own ‘comfort zone,’ but those people (in C-CAP) know eggs.”

She does, too, and helps Hickman’s Farms contribute hundreds of dozens of eggs every year, not only to C-CAP, but also to a host of other community food endeavors.

After all, isn’t the egg the most amazing “incredible, edible?”

(more about C-CAP donors coming soon!)