CIRA: Restaurant Job Bank for Katrina

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The Council of Independent Restaurants of America (CIRA), the Southern Foodways Alliance, the James Beard Foundation, and the Association of Food Journalists (the last of which currently has no mention of jobs on its front page) have partnered together to launch a job bank for displaced restaurant workers from the region ravaged by Hurricane Katrina: cirajobs.com cirajobs.org Alex Brennan, CIRA's chapter president in Houston, contacted Aventine Solutions, which quickly set up a job bank. By Tuesday, September 6, one day after launching, CIRAjobs had 150 jobs available in over 14 states nationwide. Don Luria, CIRA's president, explained, "We are talking to Southwest, the Red Cross, and hotel chains, to get donated housing and transport, and we are encouraging our chapters to work locally." Don added that his restaurant would be hiring, but, when New Orleans restaurants reopen, he will encourage employees to return there. The problem remains getting potential employees Internet access. There is little infrastructure still functioning inside the Hurrican region. Only one potential job seeker checked out the site on Tuesday, Luria stated -- despite those 150 jobs available. CIRA co-founder Bob Kinkead, chef and owner of several Washington, DC-area restaurants, intends to hire several cooks, servers, and a manager. Bob told superchefblog: [CIRAjobs] accomplishes what we want to do -- get people jobs, some temporary, some permanent for restaurant people from the New Orleans area who are having a very tough time. In the meantime, we [independent restaurateurs] have a need, and we want to help. In some cases we don't have a need but still want to help. Be sure to note that CIRA membership is not manadatory to post jobs: just email Don Luria for a password at cirapresident@aol.com. Previous articles: Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund SOS: Katrina Benefit Allison Vines-Rushing: Survived Hurricane Dine for America: Restaurants to the Rescue Katrina Relief: Restaurants to the Rescue? Technorati Tags: superchefblog, super chef, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, hurricane, Katrina, charity --> back to superchefblog