Danielle Lirette
Audio By Carbonatix
Chef Brandon Foster was beloved in the Denver hospitality community and beyond. For eleven years, he worked at the now-closed Vesta, eventually becoming its executive chef. In 2016, he took on a new role as the executive chef for Project Angel Heart, a nonprofit organization that delivers medically customized meals to people living with life-threatening illnesses.
On July 5, 2020, Foster tragically passed away after suffering a seizure while hiking with his family in Summit County.
Following the loss, his father, Kenneth Foster, worked with Project Angel Heart to create a fellowship program that launched in 2021. “The purpose of the program was to support people from challenging social and economic situations who are beginning a career as a chef through a training and mentoring program,” Kenneth recently shared in a Facebook post.
His post continued, “Thanks to the generosity of so many people, we raised enough money to support this program over two years and funded two young chefs-in-training whose lives were enriched by their engagement with Project Angel Heart and this program. Looking ahead, we discussed with Project Angel Heart how to move the program forward and deepen its impact.”
Now the nonprofit has launched a campaign to raise funds for a revised version of the program, the Chef Brandon Apprenticeship, which will “provide a work-study opportunity for high school seniors seeking a career in the culinary arts and nonprofit community development,” Kenneth writes. “As with the original program, training and mentoring from the staff at Project Angel Heart is at its core. And we will continue to focus on serving young people from underserved communities and challenging circumstances who might not otherwise have such an opportunity.”
The goal is to raise $100,000 by December 31 in order to launch the program in January. The Foster family “made an initial $25,000 pledge to kick off the campaign, which has been matched by the Chair of the Board of Project Angel Heart,” Kenneth adds.
“I hope you will find it possible to join us in supporting this new iteration of the program as we continue to honor Brandon’s legacy as a chef, mentor and compassionate human being,” his post concludes.
For more information and to make a donation, visit projectangelheart.org/chef-brandon-apprenticeship-program.
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