here - Education Management Corporation

A Flood of Support for
nashville flood victims
With the devastation of the Nashville area from flooding in 2010, employees and students at The Art Institute of
Tennessee–Nashville were eager to find ways to help those victimized by the disaster. The college chose Second Harvest
Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as one of its partners.
The mission of Second Harvest, organized in 1978, is to feed the hungry and work to solve hunger issues in the
communities it serves. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive food banks nationwide and is a member of
Feeding America – The Nation’s Food Bank Network. Second Harvest distributes food to approximately 400 nonprofit
partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee.
Just after the flooding occurred in greater Nashville, faculty member Bob Umberger and the catering class at The
Art Institute of Tennessee–Nashville hosted a pasta luncheon, which raised over $1,200 for Hands On Nashville and
Second Harvest.
Chef Robbie Piel’s Senior Culinary Practicum class partnered with Yazoo
Brewery and Olive & Sinclair Chocolates to host a beer and food pairings
dinner, which raised over $800 for Second Harvest. For the dinner, the
Exploring Wines and Culinary Arts classes brewed their own beer to serve
with the main course. And Chef Chris Chapella’s Advanced Patisserie class
created eight gingerbread houses for a silent auction, which raised almost
$700 for Second Harvest.
Chef Anthony Mandriota, department chair of Culinary Arts, and five
students partnered with Second Harvest and seven other area chefs to
produce an eight-course meal hosted by Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
The 4th Annual “Cooking Wild with Jeff Fisher and Friends” event was
held at the Culinary Arts Center at Second Harvest and raised $20,000 for
the organization.
Finally, faculty and staff contributed to a Christmas-time canned food drive
to benefit Second Harvest.
Carol Menck, president of The Art Institute of Tennessee–Nashville,
commented, “With the scale of the devastation from the flooding in this
area, our college community was eager to do whatever we could to help
those in need. This was the right way for us to express our care and concern
for our community this year.”