East End Group Feeds Families For Holidays

Well-known chef Marco Barrila and his wife, Sheila Minkel-Barrila, are working hard to make sure everyone on the East End can have a warm, holiday meal this winter.

For the fifth consecutive year, they have coordinated their efforts with local chefs and volunteers to cook, prepare and package holiday meals for those less fortunate.“The families are more appreciative than you can imagine,” Ms. Minkel-Barrila said during a recent interview. “The gift of food helps them to enjoy an incredible holiday experience that they otherwise would not have.”

The couple co-founded Citizens 4 Humanity, a volunteer organization based in Water Mill, five years ago. The group focuses on raising money to buy and prepare food for single mothers and other families on the East end who are suffering some sort of personal crisis. According to their website, much of the food preparation is completed through the couple’s international cuisine catering company, Insatiable EATS, which is based in Southampton and East Hampton, as well as in Mr. Barrila’s Manna Restaurant at Water Mill Square.

According to Ms. Minkel-Barrila, the organization has fed more than 30 local families so far this holiday season, with plans to continue raising money to pay for additional meals through Saturday, December 31. She noted that their organization’s goal is to feed 100 families this holiday season.

“Our goals are only accomplished through community support,” Ms. Minkel-Barrila wrote in a press release. “Donations from individuals directly determine how many families that we can feed. Donations pay for food purchasing costs to prepare complete holiday meals with gourmet trays of proteins, side dishes and dessert.”

According to the duo, it costs $50 to feed a family of three, $75 to feed a family of five, and $100 to feed a family of six or larger. For more information on the food drive, or to make a donation, visit citizens4humanity.org.