Sir Bruno Serato
Celebrity Chef Bruno
I had the honor and the pleasure to be invited into Sir Bruno Serato’s home, more known as, Chef Bruno, to interview him about his new book that was coming out, The Power of Pasta in September 2017.
Chef Bruno is a celebrity chef whose mission is to feed America’s hungry children. His book includes forty recipes from his Anaheim White House Restaurant. He has inspired change in the world, something we need right now, and has spoken at special events for over thirty years.
Chef Bruno also has spoken at the United Nations, at the Vatican, and has appeared on TV around the world speaking about his charity program, Caterina’s Club, to inspire people around the world to end world hunger.
Here is his story in own words and with pictures:
“I was born in France, north of Paris. My Mom and Dad left Verona, Italy in 1950 because they could not find a job after the war. They went to work in the farmland picking potatoes and beets for sixteen (16) years.
My parent had seven children. I am one of the 7, in the middle; three older and three younger. I am one of the cutest of the seven obviously.
In 67 we went back to Verona, Italy where we come from. Between Milan and Venice, the city of Romero and Juliet.
In 1980, I decided to go to a different adventure and go to America to learn English since I could speak French and Italian. I thought if I can speak English, I could get a better job.
I came here and after two or three weeks, I applied for a job and was hired as a dishwasher. I had started over again.
I went from dishwasher to a busboy and then to a waiter position. About 1987, I became the General Manager of the restaurant.
Then later in 87, I found a restaurant called, Anaheim White House located in Anaheim next to Disneyland. I bought the restaurant with a big loan, because I didn’t have any money. And I have been owning the restaurant for 33 years.
In April 13, 2005, I started something magical. My Momma came from Italy to visit me in the wintertime. We went to a boys & girls club and we found a kid eating a potato chip. He was seven years old. The Director told me that he was a resident in a motel room.
Some people don’t just use motel for a cheap night instead of the Hilton, but they also use this as their own private residence. Maybe one bedroom can reside five, six, and seven people to even ten people. With just only one bedroom; very sad. With no kitchen, a mom cannot even cook for them in the way she would want to.
Also, there is a lot of prostitution, drug dealers, and there is sexual abuse also in the motel area. Very unsafe for the children.
When we were aware that a kid may not have a hot dinner that evening, my mom said why don’t you feed him pasta. That was the first pasta that I had served for a child. After 12 years I am proud to say we are serving 3,500 kids every night. So far, we have fed 1.8 million kids (2017).
We are in 20 cities, in the US and in Canada. We also teach programs in Chicago, Illinois, in New York City, and in the state of Texas. We are also in Ethiopia, Italy and in Mexico. These programs are being spread around the world.
But I have another project called, ‘Work from Home.’ Good American families who lives in the motel rooms because, maybe, they lost a job because of the economic crash in 2009 or for other reasons. They are stuck in these rooms because they need first and last month’s rent to move out. What my project does, is to qualify them, if they have a six-month job, if they are clean, and have kids, I pay the first and last month’s rents. Which is usually between $4,000 to $5,000.
In the last four to five years, I have moved 138 families, which is over a thousand people in a safer apartment.
The last project, ‘Bruno’s Hospitality,’ is to teach each kid to work in my industry as a busboy, dishwasher, a hostess or a waiter. At least when they are 18 years old, and when they are then able to find a job.
This year, (2017), in October 10, 2017, I have my book called ‘The Power of Pasta,’ which is coming on October 10, 2017. It has been published in New York City, and it is going to be launched in Italy next year.
The book will talk about my memoirs, where I came from, and also will talk about my charity, and where my charity is today. There will be testimonials from children and families which I have helped these last twelve years on my foundation, The Catarina’s Club. And I am excited about that.
I have been blessed by:
Pope Francis
Knighted by the President of Italy.
I spoke at the United Nations and all over the world.
Featured on every TV Channels such as:
ABC NBC Fox and other channels worldwide.
I do not do this for personnel reasons but I do this so it can help the foundation to raise more money to help more children. No children should go to bed hungry and that is my motto.
And I felt like it was time to stop talking about it and to do something about it.
Thank you.”
Chef Bruno
Sir Bruno Serato has received over 100 awards for his charity of feeding underprivilege children. He is considered a Humanitarian and a Philanthropist.
