Chef Alan Greeley Receives Community Spirit Award at the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Awards

Share Our Selves is pleased to announce that Alan Greeley, Chef/Owner of The Golden Truffle Restaurant is the recipient of the 2009 Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Community Spirit Award. He was presented the award on Thursday, at a luncheon held at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa. Alan, a Costa Mesa native, has consistently been an outstanding community member in Costa Mesa and throughout Orange County; providing local charities with leadership, financial support and hands-on philanthropic involvement.

Alan Greeley is a local restaurateur and caterer with a generous community spirit. He is a founding chef for Share Our Selves Wild & Crazy Taco Night (est. 1992) and Celebrity Chef Dinner (est. 1990), and has participated in the events every year since. For Wild & Crazy Taco Night, the chefs come to the SOS facility and prepare exotic tacos for over 700 guests, and for Celebrity Chef Dinner, the chefs prepare a gourmet sit-down dinner for 350 guests. For both events they provide all the food, their considerable talents and staffs, and personally interact with the guests. The chefs annually raise over $250,000 for Share Our Selves. These two chef events are the primary funding sources for the SOS Food Pantry, which provides food to an average of 300 individuals and families a day who lack food security. Karen McGlinn, Executive Director of SOS says, “Alan represents a generosity of spirit and service. He mirrors all those in the food service industry who are committed to making sure no one will be hungry in our community. We owe much to Alan for setting an example for all of us.”

Alan’s community spirit extends beyond his support of Share Our Selves. He is a participating chef for many charities’ chef events, including the Liver Foundation, the Kidney Foundation, Susan B. Komen for the Cure, Natalie’s Wish (to find a cure for cystinosis), Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, Augie’s Quest (to find a cure for ALS), Families Forward, Taste of the Cure (diabetes), and Assessment and Treatment Services Center. Alan is one of the chefs who go the extra mile - frequently providing his own rentals and flowers for the event in addition to the food, staff, and his own personal expertise and presence. He donates auction items to many other groups. The depth and breadth of his generosity truly demonstrates that he very much cares about his community and takes personal responsibility to make it a better place.

Alan’s talents have been recognized throughout the years by the press and his peers. Most recently in November, Alan and The Golden Truffle were recognized as the 2008 National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Small Corporation of the Year. He is a role model for good citizenship - giving back to the community above and beyond what might be expected of a small business owner. Share Our Selves is proud of his recognition and thankful for his many years of friendship.

SHARE OUR SELVES is one of the largest, most comprehensive, voluntary support agencies providing for the needs of those living in poverty in Orange County. All services are free and include: medical and dental care, counseling, case management, food, clothing, financial assistance, legal aid, special holiday programs, and the SOS Family Center which offers educational classes for families with children from 0-5 years old. In these difficult economic times, the integral safety net services that SOS provides to the community are more important than ever.