FORT MYERS, Fla. — Foster Kid Your Diet Chef and owner, Doug Miller, prepared a Thanksgiving meal for students in the Jobs for Florida Graduates Program at South Fort Myers High School. Kevin Schell teaches the JFG program and said this tradition started when he learned not all his students families can afford to make a Thanksgiving meal.
This is the fifth year Schell provided his South Fort Myers High School JFG entrepreneurship program students a Fresh Thanksgiving meal.
Schell said, “Together we can do great things and our students are worth the investment, and when we get together with our businesses, we can do some amazing things for students.”
JFG is a program for students at South Fort Myers High School that prepares them for the workforce with a focus on leadership, entrepreneurship and career skills.
Schell said this year's meal could not have happened without FK Your Diet. They provided all the food for over 200 students. Miller and his wife Amy run several FK Your Diet restaurants in the area which also provides meals to children in the foster care system throughout Southwest Florida.
"Growing up, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday because I knew I was going to get a good meal, and I know a lot of the kids we serve don’t get good food everyday, so this means everything to us,” Miller said.
FK Your Kitchen prepared 200 pounds of potatoes, over 20 turkeys and hams, green beans, stuffing, rolls, and apple, pumpkin and pecan pie.
Miller added, “They play sports, they work 2 jobs, they go to school, they get straight A’s. All they need is a little bit of love. A little bit of help, and when we give them a little bit of help, and they cry or give you a hug or say thank you, it means everything.”
Schell said, it's special watching his students come together for this tradition. “This is like a first class meal, so it brings me number one joy and one of the major things it brings me too is watching the kids fellowship.”
He said for next year's Thanksgiving meal, he hopes his program and South Fort Myers High School can partner with FK Your Diet again.
