The only thing my mother ever asked me to do before she died was to support Meals on Wheels (
http://www.mowsf.org) . As her kids, we were her charity; but one pleasure she gave herself was delivering meals with Meals on Wheels and in working with the organization. As a young kid I would go with her on these deliveries and it was apparent that what they were delivering to these people – what I would term as “latch-key elderly” - was so much more important than just a meal. It was really contact with people, and a relationship with what was going on with the outside world.And so the one thing my mother asked me to do was to support Meals on Wheels (
http://www.mowsf.org/) . So every year since 1986, when Tra Vigne (
http://www.travignerestaurant.com/) opened, we’ve done this benefit (
http://www.mowsf.org/gala/index.html) . And we did it again last month. California’s best vintners and chefs come together to celebrate something that’s really important in a really selfless way. And the people who run the group are unbelievable; they put a first class event together. When I was a young chef it was the event of events - and if you were asked to do it, you were beginning to become somebody in the world, because they cared enough to invite you to it. It’s been a pleasure supporting this group of hard-working people, and through them, the often silent but very wise older folks in our communities. Meals on Wheels (
http://www.mowsf.org/) organizations are across the country, so you may want to check it out close to your home.
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