Chef Tom Valenti Gives Comfort With More Than Food

Chef Tom Valenti from the Ouest and West Branch restaurants spent the morning on the Today Show sharing some recipes for comfort food.  As Ann Curry said, this was not just fitting because we all might feel like a little comfort food, but Valenti has worked hard to give some comfort to others with his foundation, the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund.

On 9/11 so many people lost so much.  Some of the stories that often are lost of those who had so little in the first place.  Windows on the World was a restaurant on the 106 and 107 floors on the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  That morning there were people eating breakfast, a conference and 73 employees of Windows on the World.  Three people left those floors literally minutes before American Airlines Flight 11 hit the tower, everyone else perished.

Anyone who has ever worked  in a restaurant knows that most workers make not even enough to make ends meet and a lot of workers are immigrants.  One can only imagine what families went through on learning to navigate the system and I can only imagine how much more difficult that would be if you don’t speak English.

Windows of Hope has offered emergency funds, health coverage, legal aide, English language classes and scholarships for families whose loved ones were victims on 9/11 and who worked in the food, beverage and hospitality services throughout the Trade Centers.  Tom Valenti has been the driving force.  To date they have raised about 25 million dollars.

Windows of Hope holds various fund raising events each year and accepts individual donations.  If you would like to donate write a check to Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund and mail it to the following address:

Windows Of Hope Family Relief Fund
c/o Bloomberg LP
731 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10022