MONTICELLO –– Israeli-born British chef Yotam Ottolenghi once said, “Food can bring people together in a way nothing else could.” A number of significant events in history, religion and folklore have involved a good meal.

But a local example of the concept he describes is the Monticello High School Food, Academic & Culturally Engaging Success (FACES) Club, which is a program of the Town of Wallkill Boys & Girls Club.

Under the guidance of  ‘Chef Craig’ Duffy, a SUNY Sullivan and Liberty High School alum who has decades of culinary experience, students “express unity through cooking,” as well as “embrace differences and learn from one another.”

On Thursday afternoon, Chef Craig and FACES’ club students held a Community Reception, where they talked about what they’ve learned and cooked up tasty treats like shrimp ceviche, crab rangoon, empanadas, cheesecake and fruit salad served in an ice cream cone.

Their culinary skills impressed the community members in attendance, including Kristt Kelly Office Systems Corp President Les Kristt.

“It was a fabulous display of the school-aged young people being able to bake and cook these wonderful items for us to eat,” said Kristt. “Craig is excellent. He really respects the kids and they have great respect for him, and it shows in the work they do.”

The FACES club

Town of Wallkill Boys and Girls Club Senior Unit Director Barbi Neumann-Marty told the Democrat that this year’s idea for the FACES program was teens for unity through food.

On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the kids learn about different foods and Chef Craig teaches them how to prepare them and what ingredients go well together. They even compete in friendly competition, similar to that of TV shows Chopped and the Iron Chef.

There are currently 67 kids in the Monticello High School FACES program. In addition to FACES’ culinary dynamic, on Mondays, Planned Parenthood teaches the kids about topics such as healthy relationships and sexually transmitted diseases, and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, tutoring is offered by teachers from within the district that the Boys and Girls Club hires, allowing students to connect with them, while getting help with their coursework.

Duffy has been involved with the program for the past 11 years.

“I enjoy giving kids a different look at food and challenging their intellect,” he said. “If I can reach one, I can reach them all. Food brings everyone together, and we have a unique group of boys and girls inquiring about it.”

Whatever foods the kids have wanted to whip up, Duffy, with the support of the Town of Wallkill Boys & Girls Club, have made it happen. This has included dishes like filet mignon.

Tenth-grader Shakira Alvarado said she has enjoyed “making new friends” through the program, and stated that her favorite thing to cook is fried rice.

“Chef Craig is such an inspiration,” tenth-grader Eloni Brown added. “[The program] inspires me to cook at home more and I like that I can be social.”

Ninth-grader William Doolittle and cousin Josiah Valle own some bragging rights, having won “Best Fried Chicken,” in a competition the club held earlier this year.

“You learn a lot from the program,” said Doolittle, “and it opens up a lot of opportunities for you.”

For more info about the FACES program and/or the Town of Wallkill Boys and Girls Club, visit www.bgcorange. org.