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((TITLE: TV Feeding the Needy – Moskalkov
HEAD: Celebrity Chef Keeps Up Family Tradition of Feeding Homeless Persons During the Holidays
PUBLISHED AT: 12/30/2021 AT 12:15PM
BYLINE: Maxim Moskalkov
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Arlington
VIDEOGRAPHER: Aleksandr Bergan
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA + Bren+Friends + Cleo TV
PLATFORMS: TV only
SCRIPT EDITORS: KE(1st)
TRT: 2:56
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE:
((INTRO:))
[[Celebrity Chef and TV personality Bren Herrera and her family take the idea of giving very seriously during the holidays. Maxim Moskalkov has the story.]]
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Bren+friends))
700 homeless people and others in need in the Washington area received free hot meals on Christmas Day.
It’s the sixth year in a row celebrity chef and TV personality Bren Herrera, together with her family,
((End courtesy))
held the charity event called "Bren+Friends".
((Bren Herrera, Celebrity Chef))
"So, the point of “Bren+friends” right now is not only to serve the community, but also to help the people who need food, shelter, don't have families, don't have friends, don't have that connection. We want to let them know that we see them, that we value them, that they are not alone on Christmas day and that they’re loved no matter what their circumstances financially or otherwise. ”
((NARRATION))
Herrera was just a child when her parents started making home-cooked meals for homeless persons in the Washington area back in the late1980s. They wanted to show their children that Christmas is not just about gifts, but also about remembering those who need love and care.
((Bren Herrera, Celebrity Chef))
"When you consider that we came from Cuba and we're very intimately aware of what food disparity looks like, what food deserts look like, what rationed food looks like... It's almost inherent for me to know and understand that we have to do something for the people..."
((NARRATION))
Herrera's initiative has become more and more ambitious every year: instead of one park, volunteers now serve food at three different
((Mandatory courtesy: Bren+friends))
locations and distribute donated winter clothes. This year they managed to feed 100 more
((End courtesy))
people than last year.
((Jonathan Hall, Bren Herrera's Brother))
“We do it every year for the past six years, so I've had a lot of good memories from serving people. Memorable ones... because I think two or three years ago, I had a skate group that started assisting. And as we're a lot more mobile, especially during the pandemic last year when it was challenging because there weren't a lot of people in parks like we were used to. So, teaming up with the skate group made it easy to deliver to people that weren't in parks.”
((NARRATION))
This year's menu consisted of
((Mandatory courtesy: Bren+friends))
smoked chicken, meatballs, fried potatoes, green bean casserole and traditional turkey stuffing.
((End courtesy))
((Ron Taylor, Volunteer))
"So, this is basic roast potatoes. After doing roast potatoes with salt, pepper, a little chicken stock, going to broil it in the oven, get a brown on it and then refrigerate it for tomorrow, then heat it up for Christmas Day for serving."
((NARRATION))
Herrera's helpers are mostly members of her family and friends, as well as people she has known for a long time.
((Cissel Foster, Volunteer))
“It's been a few years. Ever since she picked it back up and I've known Bren for probably close to 10 years.”
((NARRATION))
Herrera says her goal is to create a foundation that would serve the communities not just during Christmas, but throughout the year.
((Maxim Moskalkov for VOA News, Arlington, Virginia))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateDecember 30, 2021 12:07 EST
Brand / Language ServiceUS Agency for Global Media
