Civic leaders and Cornerstones of Care team members and youth gathered at the Ozanam Campus for a check presentation of $127,167 from Kansas City Restaurant Week, the area’s premier annual dining event.

At the June 27 event held in front of the newly renovated train car on campus, President and CEO Merideth Rose accepted the check on behalf of Cornerstones of Care, Kansas City Restaurant Week’s 2023 featured charity. Participating Kansas City area restaurants donated 10 percent of sales from each meal during KC Restaurant Week in January. Proceeds directly benefit Build Trybe’s Seed to Plate program, an apprenticeship program that teaches youth how to grow and cook healthy fruits and vegetables, preparing them for life outside Cornerstones of Care.

Kathy Nelson, President & CEO of Visit KC, and Bill Teel, President of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, shared statements on behalf of their organizations. Visit KC and the Greater KC Restaurant Association are Founding Partners of KC Restaurant Week and partner with other area sponsors to spotlight regional restaurants each year.

“This is what’s great about Kansas City,” said Nelson. “It’s not only the commitment from our area restaurants but also the entire Kansas City community who turned out to support Kansas City Restaurant Week through their participation that made this donation possible.”

Rose also shared a few words at the event.

“In the last year, we harvested more than a ton of fruits and vegetables from the Ozanam and Gillis Campuses – that’s about 2200 pounds of food,” said Rose. “Not only does that food go to support our campuses, but it literally goes back to the kitchens to be used by the youth in the Seed to Plate program.

Thank you for your generosity – we will continue to be good stewards of these funds.”

Following the check presentation, students in the Seed to Plate advanced cohort served a roasted potato salad and smashed cucumber salad made with fresh ingredients harvested one day earlier. The civic representatives were then offered a tour of the campus and gardens, led by Seed to Plate Manager Haley Lucitt.