On August 19th, 2020 we were lucky enough to sit down with Darius Jones, Culinary Director for St. Francis Dining Hall at Catholic Charities.

Prior to pandemic, Darius Jones was working as a whole animal butcher at Urban Farmer at The Nines Hotel, and owns an ongoing popup, Wishbone Kitchen / Darius PDX Popup, focusing on seasonally sourced ingredients inspired by his international travel and cooking. Darius has cooked all over the United States; in Oregon, at Redfish in Port Orford, the Minam River Lodge in the Wallowas, and Clyde Common and Park Kitchen in Portland. Darius grew up on the shores of Lake Superior in Wisconsin, and served aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as a Nuclear Steam Plant Operator and firefighter in the US Navy. It is that service that inspires him to often say,

“I took an oath at 18 years old to serve those who cannot defend or protect themselves, and I carry that spirit with me today even though I no longer wear the uniform.” 

Darius, came to this role due to an influx of money through the USDA during the start of the COVID crisis, but his vision didn’t stop there. St. Francis Dining Hall is currently cooking hundreds of meals a week as well as building out food boxes for immigrant and migrant worker communities.

Through out the conversation, we really talked about the complexity of the food distribution system and it’s multitude of challenges. We also talked about the importance, and scarcity, of fresh produce. From speaking with Darius a few times, it is so evident that he is passionate about food - about growing it, using it, and sharing it with others. When he cooks it is an act of love and community.

We were so honored to have this dedicated hour to talk and are so excited about this partnership. So far, we have brought 733 pounds of fruit, including plums, figs, apples, and pears to SFDH and are excited to keep bringing them the spoils of our labor.

Thank you to the volunteers and tree owners who make it possible and of course, our dedicated Harvest Coordinator, Liliana!

We invite you to RSVP here to join us for our September 19th (6-6:45pm) chat with Rebeca Marquez of Familias en Accion!