Dear friends,

Sharing food has always been my language of care, love and gratitude. 

Whether it's being invited over for a home-cooked meal, cutting into a birthday cake I made, folding dumplings together, indulging in a holiday feast or coming out to a Happy Woman Kitchen pop-up, your memories of me likely involve sharing food! I'm so grateful you've been part of my journey and imagination for a better world by creating community and building bridges through food. 

In recent years, I’ve especially embodied this passion through my non-profit work in a low-income neighbourhood in Vancouver: starting a social enterprise to empower seniors and women with refugee backgrounds, cooking for and sharing countless meals with people from the margins and advocating for food justice. After 8 years of this work, I’m about to take a sabbatical year to make space for my own rest and play.

During my sabbatical, I have a very exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: an internship with Ottolenghi, a world-famous restaurant group in London, UK! 

I've been a huge fan of their food and cooking philosophy for a very long time - you may remember seeing a stack of Ottolenghi cookbooks in my home or me sharing a dish from them. I’m so excited to learn in a professional restaurant setting, take my skills and passion to the next level, and cook even more delicious food for you all - but I need your help!

Because this internship is unpaid, I’m hoping my community will collectively chip in to help me with some expenses for the 3 months I will be in London. This October (my birthday month!), I hope to fundraise $5000, which will cover visa fees and some housing costs.

If we’ve had the pleasure of connecting over food before, would you consider making a donation to make my culinary dream come true? Whether your capacity for generosity might be the equivalent of buying me a bubble tea, treating a nice meal or gifting me a kitchen appliance -  I would so appreciate and cherish your contribution! 

To thank you for your support, I have some special perks for you: check out the 'Perks' section!

“Good cooks never lack friends” - yet, what is a good cook without a table of friends to delight in food together? Regardless of whether you're able to contribute, thank you so much for being a friend. I always love it when people reminisce about food memories we've shared together, so please comment if you have one that comes to mind! 

May we find ourselves around a table together again sometime soon,

Wendy