Alejandra De la Fuente had never cooked as part of a multi-course chef’s dinner for 300 guests, but she was up for the challenge. As a featured chef at Harvesters’ Feastival fundraising event last year, her flavorful chicken tinga tostada with chipotle pepper, fresh greens, crema and queso fresco helped the event raise $700,000 to fight food insecurity.
“After participating in something as meaningful as Feastival, I feel like I have been marked for life, like a tattoo I never want to remove,” said De la Fuente, the owner of Red Kitchen: Cien Por Ciento, a Mexican breakfast and lunch café in downtown Overland Park. “I loved being a part of the solution because hunger is real, and I wanted to be part of a community that touches empty stomachs and fills them with dignity.”
De la Fuente is a member of Kansas City’s chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international professional networking organization for women leaders in the food, beverage and hospitality industry. And, thankfully for Harvesters, she is not the only member of the esteemed culinary organization willing to lend their talents to fight hunger.
Other local chapter members who have served as a featured chef during Festival include:
- Laura Comer ExplorUS (formerly chef at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center)
- Robin Krause of Billie’s Grocery (returning in 2026!)
- Pam Liberda of Buck Tui (formerly Waldo Thai)
- Katie Liu of Chewology (participating in 2026!)
- Shanita McAfee-Bryant of The Prospect KC/Nourish KC (also a Harvesters board member)
- Kate Smith of Kate Smith Soiree (returning in 2026!)
- Celina Tio of The Belfry Collective (returning in 2026!)
“Les Dames is proud to see the talented women in our organization serve as a reservoir of culinary talent working with Harvesters to end hunger, but their contributions are not surprising to me,” said Mary Holland, president of the Kansas City Chapter of LDEIKC. “These women are compassionate people and understand the power of food, which is why you frequently find them on the frontlines in the fight against hunger.”
An early connection between the organizations was forged when Celina Tio, a James Beard award-winning chef and owner of The Belfry Collective, competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” in 2011 and designated Harvesters as her charity of choice.
Local chapter members also have volunteered to sort and pack at the warehouse with the organization’s scholarship winners and celebrated their 25th anniversary as a chapter by packing Healthy Family Meal Kits.
Robin Krause, owner of the health-focused Billie’s Grocery with locations in Midtown and Leawood, has contributed to Feastival in recent years by providing courses to accommodate diners with special diets
“We believe everyone deserves access to nourishing food — whether that’s dining out or cooking at home. Supporting Harvesters allows us to extend that care beyond our dining room and into the Kansas City community,” Krause said.
“We share a mission of removing barriers to food and helping people feel supported and included. Partnering with them feels like a natural way for us to give back while helping more people eat well.”
Kate Smith, the owner of Kate Smith Soiree, a boutique bakery and popular wedding dessert caterer in downtown Overland Park, may be known around town for her macarons but she created a knock-out final course for Feastival 2024 featuring a yuzu tart with passion fruit mascarpone, sesame nougatine, topped, of course, with a raspberry macaron.
Smith returned to mentor Operation Breakthrough culinary students in 2025 as they created, produced and served the dinner’s first course. In 2026, she will return to as an appetizer chef.
“Growing up in my family’s restaurant and now as a bakery owner, I’m reminded daily that food is more than just a product. Food is comfort, it’s connection and it’s fuel for your body,” Smith said.
“Volunteering for Harvesters reminds me that even small acts like a donation, a volunteer shift or my time can make a big difference for families facing hunger. It’s truly an honor to support the work they do.”
