Volunteer spotlight- Les Dames d’Escoffier

Les Dames volunteers Theo and Amy pick up donations from Wheatsville Food Co-Op for University United Methodist’s Open Door Pantry.

UUMC receives a donation from Les Dames.

Les Dames group members rescue fresh produce.

There is no typical Keep Austin Fed volunteer. Many work full time and pick up donations before work or during their lunch break. Others are retired and represent Keep Austin Fed at community events to spread the word about food waste and food insecurity. ‍

Many volunteers are also members of philanthropic groups and partner with Keep Austin Fed through their organizations.

Collaborating with Keep Austin Fed since 2022, Les Dames d’Escoffier is a national organization dedicated to promoting the work of women in the culinary, beverage, and hospitality industries. Founded in 2003, the Austin chapter focuses primarily on philanthropy and service.

Les Dames first began rescuing food from Whole Foods Market in 2005, providing two full vans of fresh groceries to Caritas of Austin each week. A year later, Les Dames also began partnering with University United Methodist Church’s Open Door Ministry. Because of Les Dames’s donations, UUMC was able to start its food pantry program and begin serving home-cooked meals from the church’s kitchen.

In 2017, Les Dames joined forces with Save the Food to provide UUMC with groceries from Wheatsville Food Co-Op. When Save the Food merged with Keep Austin Fed in 2022, Les Dames kept their standing food rescue from Wheatsville to UUMC. “I was so excited when Keep Austin Fed and Save the Food joined,” remembered Amy. “[Operations] got bigger.”

Today, the members of Les Dames complete two adopted runs each week. Once a year, Amy March loads all of the group’s runs into a shared calendar with detailed instructions. Then, group members sign up at their convenience. To promote the opportunity, Amy sends emails when volunteer levels are low and introduces Keep Austin Fed at new member orientations.

Les Dames members also have the opportunity to complete their first food rescue alongside a more experienced group member. “It really is just shadowing,” explained Theo Nesland, Les Dames member since 2023 and Sausage Department Lead at Franklin Barbecue. “I’m going to show them where to park their car… how to go through the produce and know what is good. We don’t want to make the employees feel like they have to hold our hand because they have a large responsibility on their own.”

For Theo, being part of a group has made completing food rescues more approachable. “When I joined Les Dames, a person I’ve become very close with was my trainer [for food rescues]. I had known of Keep Austin Fed, but being part of a group made me feel comfortable and empowered to take on those next steps to help out.”

Tabatha Stephens, Les Dames member since 2014 and Chef/Owner at Nourish Personal Chef Service, also credits her fellow group members with making food rescues more enjoyable. “Any time you’re doing something in a group, it makes it easier and more fun to keep going… It’s just nice to work together with people.”

Amy says that the group’s two adopted runs have the additional benefit of helping members connect directly with Les Dames’s mission. “[Group members] want actionable items that they can feel like they are plugging into their community and are making a difference. The food rescues won’t speak to every single member’s interests or abilities, but it does provide a really important anchor to our mission.”

While the goal of each group and the motivation of each group member is different, everyone who completes a food rescue looks to give back and support others. “I’ve always had a great passion for the Austin community, and I feel compassion for those that are struggling,” reflected Tabatha.

“Volunteering has been really rewarding,” added Theo. “There is a huge food disparity in the United States, along with other countries. And I feel like it’s my duty as a citizen to do what I can to ensure that people have the resources that we all deserve, and that includes food.”

Interested in volunteering as a group? Contact us at info@keepaustinfed.org to learn more.