Food, music for a cause

Summer’s always a tough time for the area’s charities that provide food for the needy, but this season is looking especially difficult as demand escalates.

The Orange County Food Bank, for instance, is seeing a rise in families asking for help for the first time, according to Kristin Kvesic, the food bank’s donated food program manager.

Kvesic said she can’t reinforce enough how much help is needed now, especially as summer approaches. Holidays are usually when people think about starting food drives and sending food to the agencies.

When summer rolls around even the most charitable among us are preoccupied with outdoors activities and other things. But the need remains, Kvesic said.

“Summer is always bad, and people forget that children don’t go to school and they lose one guaranteed meal,” Kvesic said.

“People tend to forget in the summer because they get caught up with summer activities, going to the beach, traveling.

“People remember during the holidays, such as Christmas, but summer is really a hard time for children. People need to eat in the summer, too.”

So, two unrelated fundraising events this weekend in Newport-Mesa that will benefit the Orange County Food Bank and the Second Harvest Foodbank of Orange County come at a good time.

First off, several of the county’s top chefs and mixologists will team up Friday for a benefit at the Island Hotel’s Pal Garden in Newport Beach.

Then, on Saturdays and Sundays next month, the Orange County Market Place kicks off its Spring Concert series, which will also help replenish the county’s pantry for the poor.

On Friday, more than 20 Orange County restaurants, joining with the national Share Our Strength organization, will serve their specialties, paired with wine and cocktails at the third annual “Culinary Event” from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit the Orange County Community Partnership and Second Harvest Foodbank of Orange County.

Friday’s event will feature food, drinks, an auction and rockers Off White and the Matt Hughes Band.

Newport Beach resident Yvon Goetz, the chef for The Winery restaurant in Tustin, has participated every year in the Culinary Event.

“We are doing another two of those events, always for kids,” Goetz said. “That’s for children’s development. The reason I’m in this type of event is because it helps children and it’s an organization all across America and not only Orange County. It’s an important fundraiser.”

It may not seem sometimes like poverty’s a problem in upscale cities like Newport Beach, but bad times can hit anyone, Goetz said.

“I have friends who couldn’t have done it without help. Sometimes we don’t realize, but, yes, when you live in Newport Beach you don’t see so much poverty, but you don’t have to drive very far to realize that there are kids out there who are not so fortunate.”

Goetz will prepare his braised short rib and English pea risotto for this year’s dinner.

Tickets for the Culinary Event are available online and at the door for $75. Space is limited.

The Market Place will feature classic rock tribute bands on Saturdays and jazz and blues bands on Sundays throughout May.

This Saturday features Beatles tribute band Help! Flattop Tom and the Jump Cats will take the stage Sunday to play big band, swing, blues and boogie woogie.

“It’s a good cause,” said Dave Reynolds who plays in Help! “In times like these, in which the economy is so poor and needs help, we want to do our part to help people get through.”

Help! plays the Beatles from every era in full costume. They are planning on playing between 22 and 40 songs in a two-hour show.

This is the first year the Orange County Market Place will host this type of event and organizers expect to collect much food based on past similar drives.

The usual entrance fee for the swap meet is $2, but it will be waived if you bring either canned food, dry foods, personal care items, peanut butter, snack bars or boxed drinks.

“We are getting more food, but it’s going out faster,” Kvesic said of demand from the food bank.

“The food is leaving the floor faster than we can get it. The amount the agencies [shelters, food kitchens, senior shelters, churches] are taking is increasing; they have to take much more food because the needs increased about 60% — a number we got just from talking to people. The agencies used to serve 200 and now they are serving 300, 400 families.”

What strikes Kvesic the most is the amount of middle class families coming to the agencies for food. She often hears that for most people this is the first time they are in this situation.

“Many people think of the homeless as the people who walk down the street pushing the shopping cart,” Kvesic said.

“It’s the first time you have normal middle class people who lost the jobs and can’t pay for utilities, mortgage, bills anymore and by the end of the month they don’t have the money to buy food. Unemployment is not enough. That’s really what we are dealing with right now.”

Don’t worry about how big or small your donation is, Kvesic said. Every little bit helps.

“A lot of people worry about having to do one big thing, but I would say that it’s better to have a bunch of people doing a little thing than nothing; everybody can do a small thing within their community and it makes a big difference in the end.”

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Third Annual Culinary Event, and the Orange County Market Place Spring Concert Series

WHERE: Island Hotel’s Pal Garden for the Culinary Event, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; and the Orange County Market Place, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, for the concerts.

WHEN: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday for the Culinary Event; and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays May 2, 9 and 16 for the classic rock tributes, and noon and 2 p.m. Sundays for the blues and jazz acts at the marketplace.

COST: $75 for the Culinary Event. The concerts are free if you bring a canned food or drinks (juice boxes, bottle water, coffee and tea). Free for children younger than 12.

CALL: For more information on the Culinary Event, call (877) 268-2783 or visit TasteOfTheNation.org. For the concerts, go to www.ocmarketplace.com or call (949) 723-6660.