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Our "Why"
Love, respect and dignity are foundational to human potential. Common ground begins with a nourishing community meal, so whether you’re paying it forward by giving of your time, talent, and treasure or feeling the comfort of receiving, Cooking for the Crowd brings communities together. And for small social service organizations, our mission is to take feeding off your plate so you can focus on yours…because Love is a homemade lunch.
Our Story
Non-Profit Catering Serving Charities
We serve the marginalized and poor among us in the Dallas area by partnering with small, under-funded, non-profit organizations and providing meals and catering services. “Our mission is to take feeding off your plate, so you can focus on your mission."
Cooking for the Crowd began with a simple yet profound realization: small non-profit organizations inefficiently spend much of their time and resources feeding the people they serve, regardless of their actual mission.
Cooking for the Crowd began with a simple yet profound realization: small non-profit organizations often allocate a significant portion of their time and resources to providing meals for the people they serve, irrespective of their core mission. Finding a solution to this challenge would enable non-profits to shift their focus towards their mission, thereby enhancing the well-being of marginalized populations.
The inception of Cooking for the Crowd traces back to Elizabeth Furrh, who initiated her involvement with the Saint Patrick Refugee Outreach Program in 2016, alongside her family. This organization's primary objective is to aid refugees in acclimating to their new lives in the United States. They offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, citizenship courses, legal assistance, and a weekly community lunch for refugees.
Elizabeth initially began as a volunteer in the program's kitchen, where she assisted in serving meals to over 200 community members every Sunday. After a year of dedicated service, she assumed responsibility for the kitchen operations and also joined the Board of Directors. It was during this time that she made a startling discovery: a substantial 45% of the Refugee Outreach Program's annual budget was allocated to purchasing food from a private catering company for their weekly lunches. This significant expenditure was depleting the program's financial resources. Furthermore, the meals provided lacked essential nutrients such as lean proteins and vegetables.
Determined to rectify this situation, Elizabeth decided to take matters into her own hands. Drawing upon her experience as a former restaurant owner and her passion for cooking, she resolved to personally prepare the meals in the St. Patrick's kitchen instead of relying on an external catering service. Her vision was twofold: not only would this decision lead to substantial cost savings, but it would also enable her to create more nutritious and delectable meals for the program's beneficiaries.
It was through this realization that Cooking for the Crowd was born!
Over the 4 years that Cooking for the Crowd has been catering for the Refugee Outreach Program, they have saved over $60,000. Before Cooking for the Crowd took over the meal program, 45% of their total annual budget was being used for lunch. Now the meals are healthier, fresher and more filling all for less than 10% of their annual budget. The money being saved is put towards classroom materials, scholarships for refugee students and emergency situations that arise. This experience opened our eyes to the reality that many small non-profits are spending a significant amount of their budget and time on feeding people instead of their primary mission. It was through this realization that Cooking for the Crowd was born!
most small nonprofits are spending a significant amount of their budget on food instead of their mission.
Our Board
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."
- William James
Elizabeth Furrh
President
Elizabeth has been a Registered Nurse since 1999 with her main focus being public health nursing. Elizabeth spent 6 years as a Dallas Independent School District nurse working with middle and high school students and their families. She started, owned, operated and did the cooking for a small restaurant and espresso bar in Lakewood called La Dolce Vita.
In 2016 Elizabeth began cooking for the Saint Patrick Refugee Outreach Program which was the catalyst for Cooking for the Crowd. She founded Cooking for the Crowd to serve more small non-profit organizations seeking to spend more time on their missions and less time and money preparing meals.
Elizabeth loves family, food, and fostering an environment where people can thrive!
Carrie Fisketjon
Secretary
Carrie is a native Texan currently residing in Dallas with her husband. She has two grown daughters and a dog.
She holds a degree in Education and spent 12 years in the classroom. Over the last 20 years she has held various volunteer positions at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School and Church, Ursuline Academy and Woodrow Wilson High School. Positions have ranged from Classroom Mom to Committee Chairperson for several school fundraising efforts, including large auctions and carnivals.
Currently she is working as a preschool teacher.
Carrie has a passion for helping others along with enjoying the arts, animals, exercise, reading and Dallas sports!
Darren Henley
Development
Darren is a dedicated philanthropist and community volunteer. Through a variety of charitable activities, he enjoys working to improve access to healthy food for vulnerable populations and supporting community outreach programs who promote equity and inclusivity.
He brings extensive experience in the technology industry and he enjoys the opportunity to combine technology with charitable functions to make the outreach both efficient and scalable for the partners served by the various community organizations.
Darren is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and lives in Dallas with June, a lab/pit rescue who holds the title of Director of Naps and Treats.
He is an avid traveler, former professional caterer, college football fan, entrepreneurially minded and lover of all foods.
Darlene Vasquez
Treasurer
Darlene brings vast experience in accounting and auditing to Cooking for the Crowd. Darlene is a CPA and earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico.
Darlene is passionate about giving back to the community. Darlene was a volunteer for one of CfC's clients before she joined our board. Now Darlene serves as CfC Treasurer and she continues serving marginalized communities.
Darlene lives in Dallas with her husband and dog. In her free time, Darlene and her husband love to travel, try new restaurants, and volunteer.
John Sabine
Development
John brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, with a robust educational background including a BA from Saint Anselm College, an MA from St. Louis University, and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
John worked in Commercial Real Estate and Shopping Center Leasing and Development on a nationwide scale. He has also been deeply involved in the education sector, spending seven years as an Advancement Officer at Jesuit Dallas College Preparatory High School. Prior to this role, he served as a teacher and coach at Woodside Priory High School and Cristo Rey Dallas. John's commitment to educational excellence is further underscored by his tenure as a Board Member and former President of St. Mary of Carmel School in Dallas, TX. Additionally, he has lent his expertise and leadership to other educational institutions, having served on the boards of St. Patrick’s Catholic School, Holy Trinity Seminary Advisory Board, and Hearts & Hammers.
Through his diverse experiences and unwavering dedication, John continues to play a pivotal role in driving growth, innovation, and community impact.
Deborah Johnson
Strategy
Deborah Johnson is a cookbook author and food writer who is passionate about food as a powerful connector for families, communities, and cultures.
She holds a degree in Communication from UCLA where she was actively involved with Meals on Wheels and UNICEF. After a three-year post-graduate rotational leadership program for international non-profit organizations, she spent eight years as a digital marketer for a food company before pursuing writing full-time. She also serves as a chef at farm-to-table dining experiences in Corsicana, Texas, where she resides with her husband and a menagerie of farm animals. Her favorite hobbies are reading, traveling, supporting local art, spending time in nature, and thinking about what to cook next.
Kitchen Cabinet
Suzanne Bacile
Eric Fisketjon
Sean Furrh
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Betsy Healy
Sarah Jane Semrad
Our Staff
Elizabeth Furrh
Executive Director
Valentina Salazar
Administrative Assistant
Our Volunteers
"Cooking for the Crowd teaches young people leadership skills, compassion, awareness of the issues of poverty."
Serving marginalized communities in your own city and learning that you can make a difference empowers young minds.
Since its founding, Cooking for the Crowd has become more than just a non-profit that feeds other non-profits. We are an organization that teaches young people leadership skills, compassion, awareness of the issues of poverty and marginalized populations in our culture and how to make a difference in their community.
High school students volunteer to help prepare and serve food. The students choose whether they want to focus on preparing/cooking or serving/distributing. Students can move between the groups and try both sides of the equation to see which they prefer. Generally, we work in groups of 6-8 at a time. We have a long list of students waiting to volunteer with us, and we look forward to expanding so we can open up more opportunities for them.
Cooking for the Crowd exposes students to people in their own community with whom they don’t normally interact. Serving marginalized communities in your own city and learning that you can make a difference empowers young minds. The skills that they learn today will lead to their development into proactive, socially aware and internationally-minded citizens who can also cook a “mean casserole”.
The skills that they learn today will lead to their development into proactive, socially aware, and internationally-minded citizens who can also cook a “mean casserole”.
Our Services
Cater with Us and Make a Difference!
--> Are you a small nonprofit serving marginalized communities? Contact Cooking for the Crowd for super affordable meals made with love.
-- > Are you with a nonprofit board (or having a nonprofit event)? Contact Cooking for the Crowd for great rates!
-- > Are you with a company needing a fabulous spread for a party or event? Contact Cooking for the Crowd and receive a partial tax write-off for Cooking for the Crowd catering services. Profit goes right back into the mission to serve marginalized communities a home cooked meal.
-- > Are you hosting a private party? Contact Cooking for the Crowd and receive a partial tax write-off for Cooking for the Crowd catering services. Profit goes right back into the mission to serve marginalized communities a home cooked meal.
Contact Us
Are you a small nonprofit and would like to work with us to feed your constituents? Or perhaps you have skills to offer like marketing, accounting, or fundraising. We would love to hear from you!
Your donation makes a difference!
Select Paypal to make a contribution or to set up an ongoing monthly contribution.
Select Venmo for a one time contribution.
Checks can be mailed to: Cooking for the Crowd - 6342 Chesley Lane. Dallas, Texas 75214
Check with your employer about matching gifts. That's a great way to double your impact!
Coming soon: grocery gift card donations!