BY Alexandra Mendoza
“MasterChef” Season 6 winner Claudia Sandoval will be serving her best dishes at a benefit dinner to help U.S. war veterans who have been deported to Mexico.
The San Diego resident, who last September became the first Latina to ever win the reality show aired on FOX, said that she wants to take advantage of her newly-found popularity to support this cause.
“Winning has empowered me to raise my voice, to give something back to the community I came from, and to continue conveying the message that, regrettably, people are being deported after having served our country,” expressed the Mexican-American chef.
All the funds raised will benefit Casa de Apoyo para Veteranos Deportados (Home for Deported Veterans) in Tijuana, Baja California. The organization provides shelter, food, and other aid to former members of the military who have been kicked out of the U.S. due to immigration issues; it also works on advancing legislative bills to keep those who have risked their lives fighting for the U.S. from being deported.
“It deeply saddens me to hear that veterans are being deported”, shared Sandoval. “How ugly it is for a person who has provided so much freedom to no longer be here in the United States.”
The event is being organized by a local NGO called Friends of Casa de Apoyo para Veteranos Deportados; they hope to raise enough money to help these former soldiers fund the purchase of a van, cover the lease of the shelter’s facility and other basic services.
The dinner will take place at Border X Brewing in Barrio Logan (2181 Logan Avenue, San Diego), on March 9th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $65, and they include a six-course dinner, four different beers, and a raffle ticket with prizes including dinners donated by chefs Javier Plascencia and Martín San Román.
There will also be live music, a wine-tasting featuring Mexican wines, and a local artist exhibit.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the event’s Facebook Page: “Restoring Valor: A Fundraising Dinner and Art/Wine Auction for Deported Veterans”.