From February 3-10, United Saints Recovery Project volunteers were treated to a week’s worth of dinners and desserts by Chef Jeff Selvig of Peoria, Illinois. Far from taking a typical vacation in New Orleans, Chef Jeff worked full days using two very different sets of tools: a spatula for the kitchen and a hammer to rebuild homes. By bringing attention to our work, Jeff helped United Saints raise nearly $1,000 in Home Depot gift cards.

Everyone at United Saints and in our community would like to thank Chef Jeff for his generous loan of time and culinary skills.

We would also like to thank the individuals at Peoria’s Hotel Pere Marquette and beyond who supported Selvig’s visit with donated food and airfare.

For those who were unable to enjoy Selvig’s cuisine, volunteers emphasize that it was an extreme upgrade over their typical ramen noodle diet. Following hard days of painting and construction, thirty volunteers were delighted to eat delicious, well-balanced meals that included oysters Rockefeller, meatloaf, mac n’ cheese, colorful pastas and salads, bread pudding, and trés leches cake.

Chef Jeff came to serve at United Saints because he wanted to do more than just give money to organizations this year. He explained that “if you want to get somewhere or get anything in life, you have to give in order to receive.”

Long term volunteer Curran Dwyer summed up his gratitude for this giving spirit by calling Chef Jeff “a guy who has an awareness of charity and community service. He’s volunteering for volunteers. Normally, we’re the ones helping out and not getting compensated, but here you have a guy coming down to New Orleans to make us food, and it made my week.”

Jeff Selvig isn’t going to New Orleans to revel in Saints hoopla, wear “Who Dat” T-shirts or talk all things football during Super Bowl weekend.

He’s there to work and feed the volunteers who are rebuilding a city still suffering the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

For one week, at least, a group of 40 volunteers is going to be fed extremely well because Selvig, executive chef at the Hotel Pere Marquette, is in the Crescent City providing dinners for the volunteers with the United Saints Recovery Project.

“It’s unbelievably hard to get any local (chef) to volunteer and do their thing,” said Timothy Gear, operations manager with the United Saints Recovery Project, which helps rebuild about 50 homes a year. “To have someone fly in and be a professional at it is amazing.”

Selvig, referred to by Peorians as “Chef Jeff,” arrived in New Orleans on Wednesday. He’ll leave on Feb. 10. During his stay, he plans to help rebuild houses during the daytime and cook dinners at night.

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