Kontos Foods, Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of traditional artisan breads and Mediterranean specialty foods, is coordinating two separate efforts to assist the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Southeast Texas. Kontos Foods has teamed up with business customer Zoës Kitchen to deliver food aid to victims in storm-ravaged areas in and around Houston. Zoës Kitchen Fresh Made Mediterranean, a fast-casual restaurant chain headquartered in Plano, Texas, will help distribution of breads working through the American Red Cross. Specifically, Kontos Foods will be supplying 100 cases of its 6-inch Pocket-Less Pita, as well as 120 cases of 8-inch, Pocket Pita, enough for many thousands of full servings.
In addition, Kontos Foods is pairing up with the Texas Chefs Association, a chapter of the American Culinary Federation, to supply food to the Southeast Texas Food Bank in Beaumont, Texas, another area hit by severe flooding. Kontos will be donating 120 cases of 8-inch Pocket Pita.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Texas who’ve been displaced or whose lives were upended by this horrible storm,” said Steve Kontos, vice president and owner of Kontos Foods. “We know from when Hurricane Sandy hit the Tri-State area how devastating a storm like this can be and we wanted to do our small part to help relieve some of their suffering, and what better way than to team up with a couple of our key partners in the local area.”
“The Mercy Chefs (a non-profit chefs relief organization) in Texas are producing a steady 4,000 meals in Rockport, Texas, and 11,500 (yesterday) in Houston, and the Southeast Texas Food Bank (Beaumont) is just trying to keep up with water and food distribution,” says Mark R Schneider, CEC, CCE, AAC, Chairman of the Board, Texas Chefs Association-ACF. “A big thanks in advance to Kontos, it is going to help so many people in need.”
Donald Stagg, of the Southeast Texas Food Bank says, “Bless you guys, we can certainly use the help.”
“No one should go hungry,” adds Kontos. “Whether it’s working through a local food bank such as the FoodBank of New Jersey, or collaborating with the Red Cross to provide assistance to victims of a natural disaster, working together hopefully no one will go to bed hungry.”
