Joey Morelli, from Joey’s Food Fight, is using his culinary and restaurant management skills as a force for good by visiting orphanages all around the world.
Joey’s Food Fight says that its mission is to “empower and educate children in orphanages worldwide through the power of cooking. We believe that by teaching them valuable culinary and life skills, we can help them become self-sufficient and confident individuals.”
Joey taps into his years of experience as a celebrity chef and owner of Max’s Deli, a high-volume New York-style delicatessen in Highland Park, Illinois, to teach orphans the skills they need to cook fresh and nutritious meals on a budget. To date, he has made two trips to the Hope for Silent Voices Hope House Orphanage in Cambodia and is planning trips soon to an orphanage in Alabama and another one in Mexico City, Mexico.
“The kids I cook for,” says Joey, “have been dealt one of the worst hands that fate can possibly have in store for you. To have a formative childhood experience ripped away from you so cruelly, to never know how it feels to be in the care and security of a loving family, is a burden that most of us will never have to contend with. My heart goes out to each and every child living in an orphanage, wherever they might be on the face of the earth. My only mission, now, is using my limited time on this planet to touch as many lives as I possibly can. You can stay updated with my adventures by following our TikTok page at https://www.tiktok.com/@joeysfoodfight.”
Vlogs of Joey’s work at the Hope House Orphanage have been uploaded to his YouTube channel. The recent stories shared include a trip to Phnom Penh’s central market, cooking a full Mexican dinner for the children, taking them out to drink bubble tea, donating food supplies to over 150 families at a local charity drive, repairing the kids’ play area, installing new toilets at the orphanage, touring a hydroponic garden, serving a full American breakfast including banana apple pancakes, eggs, and bacon, and much more.
His travels also take him to interesting locations in the countries he visits. During his second trip to Cambodia, Joey also stopped by Thailand where he shared videos of himself scuba diving in Phuket and enjoying a hearty dinner consisting of Thai basil fish, lobster, crab, and pork fried rice by the beach. In another upload, Joey climbs up to the top of the Big Buddha statue in Phuket and talks about the Buddhist lesson that resonated with him the most.
Joey continued his charitable initiatives upon returning to the United States. He shared a video where he teamed up with Chef Clause to cook tacos for 300 Ukrainian migrants and homeless people in Chicago. The initiative was sponsored by Sysco and Catholic Charities, the former being the largest donor for the latter in the state. Joey also partnered with Fred Knych, Executive Director at Stand Up For Kids Chicago, a teen shelter that has been working to end the cycle of teen homelessness in the city since 2009.
In one of the videos shared during his second visit to Cambodia, Joey candidly reveals his personal motivation for doing what he does. He says, “A lot of homes here don’t even have floors but the happiness here is infectious. Everybody says “Hi.” When I’m home, I’m grinding. I’m a 7-days-a-week worker. Not because I need to, but because I choose to. I chose my work over my marriage. I spent my 40s desperate for kids and it never happened. Grinding and grinding. But when I’m here, it’s happiness. I’m relaxed. I’m cooking for kids. I’m shopping at all these markets. It’s just pure joy. The grind is exhausting but the love is real.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fis4IsdQqCg
Readers who want to find out more about Joey Morelli’s humanitarian efforts and contribute to his cause can visit his website at https://www.joeysfoodfight.com.
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For more information about Joey's Food Fight, contact the company here:
Joey's Food Fight
Joey Morelli
(847) 997-0407
joey@joeysfoodfight.com
Joey’s Food Figh
191 Skokie Valley Road
Highland Park IL 60035
