BARN Culinary Arts instructor Sandra Evanoff has put Kitsap County on the global map in the fight against food insecurity through her participation in the Global Social Gastronomy Movement’s World Food Day celebration. Most recently, she prepared 275 meals for the Salvation Army as part of the Universal Plate Campaign, an initiative spanning 30 countries worldwide.

The Universal Plate Campaign was created in 2020 by the Zurich-based Social Gastronomy Movement to relieve hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sandra began taking part by providing 60 meals for Benedict’s House, an emergency men’s shelter in Bremerton. By 2022, the campaign had grown to include support from key community partners, including Fishline Food Bank, Central Kitsap Food Bank, Silverdale Lutheran Church, and Walmart. In 2023, with support from the food banks, the Salvation Army was included to receive the meals.

The 2024 campaign marked further growth, with Olive Garden joining the effort, providing 60 dinners for Benedict’s House and Georgia’s House, a women’s and children’s shelter in Bremerton. The Universal Plate Campaign delivered approximately 1,300 meals during Global Hunger Week in Kitsap County from Oct. 13 – 19.

Beyond meal preparation, Evanoff’s work led to her first contract with the Kitsap Immigrant Assistant Center (KIAC) to launch cooking classes for Latino and Syrian refugee youth, with the Social Gastronomy Movement serving as a partnership mentor. The inaugural class was held at Marvin Williams Recreational Center on Oct. 16 during World Food Day.

As a BARN Culinary Arts instructor, Evanoff hopes to expand BARN’s involvement in next year’s campaign, which uses food as a tool for social change.