Q&A
Council member discusses culinary program and kitchen use at Borden Avenue veterans shelter
1:51:05
·
99 sec
Council Member Robert Holden inquires about the culinary program and kitchen use at the Borden Avenue veterans shelter, revealing issues with the program's accessibility and the lack of proper food preparation for residents.
- The culinary program is not exclusively for veterans and requires travel to Manhattan, making it difficult for some to participate
- The shelter's kitchen is not being used to prepare meals for residents, despite having cooking facilities
- Council Member Holden expresses concern about the situation and indicates he will follow up on these issues
Robert Holden
1:51:05
or Now, the culinary school, you just mentioned that.
1:51:08
Does that I thought that was teaching Veterans on premise.
1:51:12
They were actually teaching them.
Timothy Pena
1:51:13
Yeah.
1:51:13
But they have it's not all just Veterans.
1:51:16
And then what they're doing is the cooking part of that is actually over in Manhattan.
1:51:21
So you have to be there.
1:51:22
It's I've talked to several veterans who they only joined, the culinary's project renewal just to eat.
1:51:32
But once they were told that they had to go over to Manhattan and, you know, they have to be there by 6 or 7, and it's it's a struggle trying to get out of up at Borden, there's no coffee.
1:51:43
There's no food.
1:51:44
There's nothing there.
Robert Holden
1:51:45
So the food doesn't get in the kitchen, it doesn't get shared with the residents at all?
Timothy Pena
1:51:51
Not in 0.
Robert Holden
1:51:52
Okay.
1:51:52
I will I'm gonna I gotta talk to you about that.
1:51:55
Let's talk offline a little bit.
1:51:57
And I'll have to go over and look at that.
1:51:58
Thank you.
1:51:59
Thank you, Timothy.
Timothy Pena
1:52:00
Yeah.
1:52:01
Just to follow-up real quick, sir.
1:52:03
So Jamie, Reardon did say something that they're looking for another vendor.
1:52:09
But, you know, these GPD programs have cooks.
1:52:12
We have a chef who cooks our meals.
1:52:16
She also talked about, doing something with the security over there and doing something with the laundry, the way that it's being set up.
1:52:22
Okay.
1:52:23
Thank you.
Robert Holden
1:52:24
Yeah.
1:52:24
But I suggested that over I think it was 2 years ago now, to to change that over to pre pandemic.
1:52:32
We had a working kitchen then for everyone.
1:52:35
And I'm distressed to see or hear that, that the clients don't benefit.
1:52:42
The veterans don't benefit.
Eric Lee
1:52:43
So
Robert Holden
1:52:44
I'm sorry.
1:52:44
Go ahead.
