Tantalize Your Taste Buds with the Best Cuisine This Side of the Food Network

As anyone who’s ever attended Chef’s Gala knows, it’s one of the best opportunities around to savor the most creative, flavorful cuisine served this side of the Food Network.

With more than 20 of the region’s most talented (and competitive) chefs showcasing their culinary talents, the results are bound to be amazing.

This year, though, they’re really outdoing themselves. Check out just a few of the amazing dishes they'll be serving on Saturday, May 15:

• Porcini-rubbed Filet Mignon with Sam’s Mashed Potatoes


• Pan-seared Buffalo with Herb Goat Cheese Polenta and Ancho-Cherry Compote
  
• Lobster Bruschetta—Olive Oil-seared Ciabatta with Lobster, Tomato, Avocado, and Fresh Herbs topped with Tarragon Aïoli and Fresh Chiles


• Basque-style Tuna with Espelette Polenta, Late Spring Vegetables, Niçoise Olive, and Idiazábal Cheese

Think it can’t get any better? Now imagine each flavorful dish paired with a perfectly selected glass of wine. Close your eyes and you’ll think you’re in heaven – or at least Napa.

If you love fabulous food and wine, don’t miss this terrific opportunity to savor the best of both – while helping local people in need. Tickets are going fast! Get yours now.

Food Isn’t the Only Excitement at Chef’s Gala – Check Out These Exclusive Silent Auction Items!

In addition to great food and wine, Chef’s Gala also features an elegant Silent Auction that offers guests a chance to take home some really exciting items, including travel getaways, entertainment packages, fine art and more.

Here’s a sneak preview of what’s in store for this year:

· A two-night, deluxe-room stay at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, including a spa visit, massages and dinner for two at the Bull & Bear Steakhouse
· An Orlando Magic basketball autographed by Dwight Howard, plus a week of basketball camp
· Two round-trip tickets on JetBlue Airways
· A luxury suite behind home plate for you and 18 friends at a Tampa Bay Rays Game
· Four annual combo passes for SeaWorld Aquatica, two passes for the Discovery Cove Dolphin Interaction Program and other exclusive offerings.

Many thanks to all the companies and individuals who have generously donated auction items. Special kudos also go to our Silent Auction Co-Chairs – Ed DeAguilera, Director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando; and Belinda Ortiz, Economic Development Director for the City of Kissimmee.

See you at Chef's Gala!

Chef’s Gala - A Food and Wine Lovers’ Delight

Once, not very long ago, creative cuisine in Central Florida ranged from alligator nuggets to luau fare, but as our region has grown and matured, so has our appreciation – and array – of amazing and sophisticated world-class food.

From the fresh, inspired creations of America’s top celebrity chefs to the bold, exciting flavors of Asia and Africa, there’s no better place to sample our region’s finest culinary offerings than at Chef’s Gala, on May 15.

If you’ve never attended, Chef’s Gala is a food and wine lovers’ delight that features the best dishes of the region’s 20-plus top chefs, along with thoughtfully paired wines. It’s a fun, delicious and elegant evening, which also raises much-needed dollars to help local people in need.

Still unconvinced? Here’s just a few of the incredible menu items:

• Basque-rubbed Veal Loin with Feta-Herb Saltsa, presented by Kouzzina by Cat Cora®, Disney’s BoardWalk
• Lamb Polpettine Panino with Mint and Spring Vegetable Salsa and Butterscotch Pudding, offered by La Luce by Donna Scala, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
• Basque-style Tuna with Espelette Polenta, Late Spring Vegetables, Niçoise Olive, and Idiazábal Cheese, created by Todd English’s bluezoo


Ready to enjoy? Click here to learn more.

Chef's Gala - A taste you don't want to miss!

Had the chance to get an inside peek into this year’s Chef’s Gala and let me tell you, this is an event you don’t want to miss!

This past Wednesday a few of the participating restaurants – The Capital Grille, Funky Monkey, Primo and Epcot® Bakery – got together at Primo in Grande Lakes Orlando to give a taste of what the event will feature.

After sampling four exquisite dishes, enjoying delightful company and basking in the beautiful contemporary Italian atmosphere of Primo, the preview left me – and the others – wanting more! With Chef’s Gala quickly approaching on May 15, I won’t have to wait much longer!

Thanks to all the media who came out to share our excitement about this event! Lauren Rowe, news anchor from Channel 6, even took some of the food back to share with the rest of her news team. They got to sample a few Chef’s Gala menu selections on air – and they even shared some with Mickael Pietrus of the Orlando Magic during a live interview at the Amway Arena! (GO MAGIC!)



Other previewed menu items included two forms of gourmet Macaroni & Cheese - Apple, Bacon and Gorgonzola, and Lobster and Fontina - from Funky Monkey, which were absolutely fabulous. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, The Capital Grille stepped in with Chef Matthew’s Porcini-rubbed Filet Mignon and Sam’s Mashed Potatoes.

View the full Chef’s Gala menu here.

This event will truly be an evening for you - and your taste buds - to remember forever. Don’t miss it - click here to order your tickets today!

When Job Disappeared, Marti, 68, Had Nowhere to Live But her Car

Close your eyes for a moment. Think about your comfortable home, your warm bed, your job, your savings and everything you hold dear.

Now imagine they all disappear, nearly overnight. And for the next six months, you have nowhere to live but your car.

Seem impossible? It happened to our friend, Marti, a 68-year-old great-grandmother with a master’s degree, a solid career of helping others and an amazing spirit.

She recently shared her story at the United Way Women’s Leadership Luncheon. You’ve got to hear it.

Sapphire – Bright Star for Women in Need

Seeing New York Times best selling author Sapphire at yesterday’s United Way Women’s Leadership Luncheon, renewed my belief that one woman can make a difference.

Bright, passionate and honest, Sapphire gave an amazing keynote address that touched on her experiences from living and teaching school in Harlem in the 1980s. Her novel, Push – which draws on this time – inspired the recent Oscar-winning film, Precious.

The book and film tell the story of Claireece “Precious” Jones, an overweight teenager who overcomes poverty, AIDS and other seemingly insurmountable problems to create a better life.

Oprah, who co-produced the film, said, “None of us who see the movie can now walk through the world and allow the Preciouses of the world to be invisible.”

Sapphire talked candidly about incest, illiteracy, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, AIDS and other tragedies endured by her students, whose stories she said “broke open the seeds of the world.”

Though difficult to talk – and write – about, Sapphire said she was compelled to write Push, in part, to break the code of silence and create change.

“As a teacher and an artist, I took it upon myself to tell the stories of what I saw,” Sapphire said. “I owed it to my precious students who were pushing daily to survive.”

Describing education as “transformational,” she urged everyone to work together to help women, particularly young girls, succeed. “We know that 90% of poor women on welfare are able to earn a living wage within two years of completing college,” Sapphire said.

Many in the room were visibly moved by Sapphire’s words, which concluded with a heartfelt message about women’s ability to influence change. Deflecting applause, she said, “I clap for you. I clap for the solutions you are creating. I clap for the work you’re doing every day.”

Call it a halo effect, but the work we do here at United Way – seems just a little more meaningful.

Inspired to Give, Advocate or Volunteer on behalf of local women and children in need? Click here to learn more.

Mary D'Ottavio works in Heart of Florida United Way's Marketing Department.

Home Free….Way to Go, Olivia!

Just ran into Olivia, a terrific lady who volunteers in our United Way 2-1-1 call center. She shared a great story about receiving an unexpected $700 windfall, compliments of EITC, which helped her pay off her mortgage.

Talk about being home free! We’ve been saying all along that EITC ­(Earned Income Tax Credit), can make a huge difference in people’s live – and Olivia is the proof.

As a retired special needs teacher, Olivia isn't exactly rolling in dough. She's worked hard all of her life and every dollar counts. Satisfying the mortgage on her Habitat for Humanity home is an amazing achievement that will free up money for other important needs. It also lets her do more of what she loves most – serving as a community volunteer.

Like so many people, Olivia had never heard of EITC before.

It was only by offering information to 2-1-1 callers that she found out that she might qualify for a refund, which this year ranges from $457 to $5,657.

And get this – in all the years she’s been paying to have her taxes done by a BIG NAME TAX PREPARER, the trusted experts never once mentioned a word about EITC. Seems a little odd, given that the program’s been around since 1975 and helps an estimated 5 million hardworking people every year.

After visiting one of 30 local FREE tax prep sites, Olivia learned that she even qualified for a retroactive refund from last year. She said the whole process took 45 minutes, the full refund arrived in 10 days and she didn’t have to spend a dime.

“With the economy as bad as it is, EITC is a real blessing,” Olivia said. “Getting your taxes done for free makes it even better!”

After a lifetime of giving to others, it’s great to know that something good came back to Olivia.

Mary D'Ottavio works in Heart of Florida United Way's marketing department.

Answering the S.O.S.

As I was getting ready to leave work one night not long ago, an S.O.S. e-mail popped up asking for a few volunteers to help out at our United Way 2-1-1 call center. Thanks to a daylong media blitz about the Earned Income Tax Credit – or EITC – 2-1-1 phones had been going crazy and were expected to be even busier during the evening news hours.

Call it a sign of the times or a tribute to the power of the media, but every time the stories ran on WFTV 9 Family Connection, WFTV/TV 27 and Central Florida News 13, calls went through the roof the moment the 2-1-1 information number was mentioned.

Apparently, it was the first time many people had heard about EITC, which offers federal tax credits of up to $5,657 for low-income families and individuals. In these tough times, that’s a potentially life-changing sum for the thousands of local residents who are struggling to pay their rent, feed their kids or keep the heat on.

Although I hadn't previously volunteered at 2-1-1, I’m a true believer in EITC’s ability to help people get on their feet. After a quick phone tutorial, I was ready to jump in and take calls.

It’s one thing to watch news stories about people who are facing tough times. It’s another thing all together to talk to them and personally hear their stories.

For two solid hours I fielded a steady stream of calls from hardworking people who’ve had their lives turned upside down by unemployment, foreclosure, bankruptcy, serious illness and other crises they never saw coming.

Everybody wanted to know if they were qualified to claim EITC benefits. Though I couldn’t tell them that – we refer people to free tax prep sites instead – just listening and offering the prospect of hope seemed to help.

“God bless you,” said one Kissimmee woman, who’d gone through the foreclosure gauntlet and lost. Struggling now to avoid homelessness, she also asked if we could help her husband who has cancer and no medical insurance.

EITC isn’t a cure-all. But for people whose lives are hanging by a thread, an unexpected refund may be all they need to pay for the deposit on a new apartment, buy decent food for their kids or fix a broken-down car that gets them to work.

And that could be just enough for a family to survive another day, another week or a month, in hopes that things turn around soon.

I was glad I answered the S.O.S. It reminded me again of why I work for United Way.

If you need help, click here or simply dial 2-1-1.

Mary D'Ottavio works in Heart of Florida United Way's marketing department.

EITC: "It was quick, easy and FREE!"

’Tis the season to file your taxes! But that doesn’t mean it has to be a paperwork nightmare or even cost a penny to file. Oh—and how does an extra refund of up to $5,657 sound?

That’s what thousands of Central Floridians will be eligible to claim this year through the Earned Income Tax Credit—or EITC—which is credited with lifting more kids out of poverty than any other federal program.

Heart of Florida United Way has been helping promote awareness of the EITC program, which last year put $395 million back in the hands of low- to moderate-income families and individuals across our region. Money like that also provides a big boost to local businesses where EITC dollars are typically spent.

And claiming EITC is quick, FREE and easy. AARP and the IRS have provided more than 30 locations within Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties where reliable, honest help is available at no cost to those who need it most.

We recently visited one of those locations at the Sanford Senior Center where people had been arriving to get their taxes filed since 8 a.m. WFTV Action 9 Reporter Todd Ulrich interviewed Brittany Richards, United Way Community Investment Senior Manager, to spread awareness of the EITC benefits and free tax prep sites.

As the interview came to an end, I met a family whose husband earned just $13,000 in 2009. By claiming an EITC credit of $3,500, he boosted his overall refund to approximately $4,800. He signed the paperwork and even opened a free bank account on the spot so he could receive his refund even faster.

Later on he told us that last year he had gone to a paid tax prep site and spent several hundred dollars to have his taxes filed. It was a much better experience for him this year, which he stated in six simple words, “It was quick, easy and FREE!”

Just like that his tax season became a holiday instead of a hassle. So spread the word about EITC and the free tax prep sites. In these tough times, an extra $5,657 can make a huge difference to people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Leo Vilenskiy is a UCF student and intern for United Way

Making a Difference, One Call at a Time

Where do I start? New to United Way, I am amazed and frankly overwhelmed by all that they do for our community. These tough economic times are taking an enormous financial and even emotional toll on many Central Florida families, and United Way has certainly had its hands full.

With so many impactful programs and events going on, one that really stands out to me in particular is the United Way 2-1-1 & Elder Helpline. With the new year recently underway, thousands of Central Floridians are asking the question of where to start when it comes to improving their lives in 2010. The search for new and improved beginnings can be tough, but for those who have recently lost their jobs, their homes or can’t afford to feed their kids, finding a solid starting point may seem impossible.

That’s why I found 2-1-1 to be so amazing! It’s actually a one-stop spot for these people to find the answers they need, 24-hours a day. Last year, 2-1-1 operators helped nearly 120,000 callers connect with more than 2,000 programs offered by 800-plus local health and human service agencies.

As the need of the Central Florida community continues to grow, 2-1-1 helps callers find assistance with food, housing, clothing, child care issues, physical and mental health services, elder services and more. 2-1-1 has also recently expanded to include a crisis and suicide counseling hotline for those in our community who are unable to cope with tough situations.

Stay tuned as I learn more about the United Way 2-1-1 & Elder Helpline, as well as other ways United Way is making a difference in our community. Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and remember that if you or someone you know needs help, simply dial 2-1-1 today!

Sarah Veal is a UCF student and intern for United Way

Help Haiti Earthquake Victims the United Way

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, most of us experienced a normal day. We went to work. We went to school. We saw our friends and family. We enjoyed dinner in the comfort of our own homes. However, while we did all this, tens of thousands of lives were lost as Haiti experienced the most powerful earthquake to hit the impoverished country in more than 200 years.

The earthquake hit about 10 miles southwest of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, destroying as much as 70% of the infrastructure. Debris-filled roads are impeding emergency response and thousands of men, women and children are living in the streets without food or clean water.

Time is so crucial for those in need and United Way needs your help! As search and recovery efforts end, the focus is shifting to relief efforts for helping survivors.

Supporting the nation’s long-term recovery, the United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund is focusing on the most pressing needs, including food, shelter, clothing and health care. It is also addressing extended efforts to rebuild schools, housing and infrastructure.

Whether it is $5, $50, or $500, every contribution given will make a huge difference in this desperate time. A full 95% of every contribution will support efforts to rebuild the lives and structures that were devastated by the disaster.

Donations to the United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund can be made to help those in Haiti in several quick and easy ways:

• By phone, text HAITI to 864833 (UNITED) to make a $5 donation, or call toll-free at 1-866-404-5826
• Contribute online at www.liveunited.org
• Mail checks to United Way with the memo line reading “United Way Disaster Recovery Fund” to:
  United Way Worldwide
  P.O. Box 630569
  Baltimore, MD 21263-0568

For more information about the long-term recovery effort in Haiti or about United Way Worldwide initiatives, please visit www.unitedway.org/worldwide.

One Million Steps for Kids and Counting

Wow! What a great morning. Had a chance to take part in the One Million Steps Walk for Florida’s Kids, led by Bud Chiles, who’s on a mission to raise awareness and funding for programs that benefit kids – and ultimately the future of our state.

As the son of the late Florida Governor Lawton “Walkin” Chiles, Bud is literally following in the footsteps of his dad, a great public servant and child advocate who won support for his 1970 Senate campaign by walking 1,000-plus miles across the state to talk with voters.

Since Lawton’s death in 1998, Florida has made little progress in improving its national ranking ­­– currently 49th ­ – on issues related to children’s education, health, welfare and safety.

Hence the purpose of the Worst to First campaign. As Bud Chiles travels the state, he’s collecting signatures and pledges of support and calling on legislators to make kids’ issues a top priority.

Heart of Florida United Way, which has identified Developing Healthy Children & Families as one of its four focus areas, was pleased help organize support the local walk, which started the Orlando Day Nursery and continued around Lake Dot.

Joining us on the stroll were local child advocates from several organizations, as well as about 50 beautiful kids from the nursery who stole our hearts and really highlighted why this work is so important.

Note to self: See if Orlando Day Nursery needs volunteers.

Note to you: Click here to learn more, including what United Way is doing to help improve the health and lives of Central Florida’s kids.

Mary D'Ottavio works in Heart of Florida United Way's marketing department.