Join West Valley Community Services for a Night of Food and Fun at its Chefs of Compassion Fundraise

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Let your inner foodie rejoice! The 12th Annual Chefs of Compassion is back in person, after being virtual for the past two years. A unique fundraising experience hosted by the team at West Valley Community Services, this event challenges well-known local chefs to prepare three-course meals with ingredients sourced from the WVCS food market.

Participating chefs are judged during the event on taste, appearance, and creativity, by a panel of celebrity judges, with a special audience favorite award, voted on by the attendees.

This year’s chefs include:

• Chef Leonardo Ramirez: Chef Leo believes food should be fresh, nutritious packed with flavors—just like back home (he grew up near the Amazon Jungles of Peru, near San Fernando). Chef Leo founded The Charapa Project and received the Good Food Award in 2021, for his Aji Amarillo Sauce. His products can be found in specialty stores throughout the Bay Area, including Epicurean Trader, Berkeley Bowls, Sigona’s Farmers Market, Piazza’s Market, and various other specialty stores.
• Chef Billy Hazra: Chef Hazra is the Executive Chef at The British Bankers Club in Menlo Park, CA. Chef Hazra believes that "Food is an essential component of life. In more ways than one, food can transform who we are, what we want to be, and what we become. It is the catalyst that drives our physical attributes, fueling our everyday desires. It is the story that shapes our cultural roots, fostering our sense of nostalgia. We celebrate our achievements with food as much as we mourn our losses. Food enables us to live and connect as individuals, as neighbors, and as a community."
• Chef A.J. Szenda: Chef A.J. is the Culinary Director for Bon Appetit Management Company at Palo Alto Networks. Prior to his current role, he was a senior executive chef at Apple and honed his skills at restaurants like Le Mouton Noir, The Plumed Horse, Viaggio, and the Almaden Golf & Country Club. Over the years, Chef A.J. has shared his time and talent with many organizations and is honored to give back to his local community. Organizations like the Salvation Army, March of Dimes, American Heart Association, and many local organizations have enjoyed his food over the years.

All proceeds from the event will benefit West Valley Community Services, an organization that fights poverty by providing a continuum of basic needs (including an in-house and mobile food pantry, homeless support, affordable housing, emergency financial assistance, family support, referrals, education, and case management) to homeless and low-income individuals and families in the west valley communities of Cupertino, Saratoga, West San Jose, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and the surrounding mountain regions.

Event Details
The event will take place on Friday, March 31 at 6 pm at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA.

Interested in attending? Purchase tickets here! https://www.chefsofcompassion.org/ticketslink2023

Unable to attend the event but still would like to support West Valley Community Services’ fight against hunger and homelessness in the west valley? Please make a donation at: https://www.chefsofcompassion.org/donate-2023.

We look forward to seeing you there and to continuing to support West Valley Community Services in the years to come.