Blog April 17, 2013 by
St Giles
International Food Day 2013
Holding charity events is an important part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme at St Giles International. On 28th March, St Giles London Central and St Giles San Francisco each hosted International Food Day, encouraging students and staff to bring in food from their home countries and sell it to the rest of the school. The day was a great success and the proceeds were all donated to charity!
- At St Giles London Central, we made almost £600 from selling the delicious cakes and other food made by students and staff. St Giles donated double what was raised, so in total we made almost £1800 for charity!
- At St Giles San Francisco, we were able to raise $303, which was matched by St Giles. This meant we raised a total of $606 for charity!
Before the event in San Francisco, two members of the academic team, Travis Bagby (ADOS) and Amy DeLong (Senior Teacher), were interviewed by our CSR Officer and Activities Coordinator, Mike Emmer:
– To start off with, what are you planning on bringing for International Food Day?
Amy: I’m bringing cornbread.
Travis: Chickpea and sweet potato samosas.
– What is the significance of that food for you and how did you learn to make it?
Amy: I’m from Kentucky and so I’ll be making Appalachian cornbread. Cornbread from the Appalachian area doesn’t have sugar or honey in it, so it’ll be savoury, not sweet. My dad taught me how to make it. A cast iron skillet was the first thing I bought when I moved to San Francisco!
Travis: Well, my nieces are multi ethnic, as my brother’s partner is Pakistani. My brother often makes samosas for them, and they are vegetarians. Everyone chips in and makes food so my wife and I have made samosas with them before. The sweet potato addition was something of our own creation.
– Why do you think it’s important for the St Giles community to hold events for charity?
Travis: It’s about giving back to the community and providing that aspect to the students. It’s a chance to show them that they’re not just here to study English, but that they’re also part of the community here.
– What are you hoping to eat on March 28th?
Amy: I definitely want to try some Korean food because I don’t eat Korean food often.
Travis: Yeah, I’d definitely like to try kimchi and I’d love to try some fire chicken. I love spicy food!
– Thanks for speaking to me today and I look forward to your cornbread and samosas!
If you would like to study English in London or in San Francisco, you can find out more about our locations on the St Giles website. Alternatively, contact us at hq@stgiles.co.uk, and we will be happy to answer your questions!
