Pasta with a Purpose

Peace, Love, & Pasta 

Led by Cameo Fucci, Allora Pasta Co. is a woman-owned business that builds connections and community through virtual and in person pasta making workshops and wine tastings. A large part of the mission at Allora is Pasta with a Purpose - Pasta with a Purpose works with local and international organizations to create safe, positive, and empowering spaces for women to learn, share knowledge and ask questions about food. 

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The hospitality industry has been known as a ‘boy’s club’ for decades. While the gap seems to be narrowing, every day there are still stories coming out about men taking advantage of women along with the lack of praise women get for their accomplishments in the industry. According to the U.S Census Bureau, only 24% of U.S. chefs and head cooks were female, and in 2020, female chefs made just 86 cents to the dollar that male chefs did, from data by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This sort of problematic behavior makes it a difficult environment for women to learn, feel confident, and grow in their careers. My goal with Pasta with a Purpose is to create truly safe spaces for women to help them find the confidence to continue to break down barriers and explore their culinary interests. 

Because workshops can be done virtually as well as in person, anyone with an internet connection can learn. Between June 2020 and August 2021, Pasta with a Purpose has raised $4,200 for local and international non-profits.

Food is a universal language that can bring people of different backgrounds and histories together, to help influence equality and encourage diversity. At the end of the day, food is about so much more than just eating. It is about the community you share that food with, it is about the courage it takes to cook for yourself and others, and it is about the empowerment you feel after making your first delicious meal without burning down your apartment. The confidence women can learn in the kitchen can be translated into everyday life. Taking a risk in the kitchen can one day make the idea of speaking up for yourself or starting that side hustle a little less intimidating, leading to a future of empowered and inspiring women.

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I am seeking funding to be able to have the Allora Pasta cooking workshops reach a wider range of women, women led organizations and nonprofits, regardless of their economic status.

I will spend the funding with an array of projects within Pasta with a Purpose including but not limited to:

• Targeted outreach to women led organizations and nonprofits, local and international.
• Interviewing, networking and connecting with other female chefs for potential collaborative classes. 
• Creating pre-recorded, educational cooking videos and content for purchase with a percentage of proceeds being donated to women led non-profits of Allora Pasta’s choosing. 
• Virtual/in person cooking workshops and events to support female organizations. 
• Subsidize workshop ticket prices to make my workshops more accessible to all despite economic status. 

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Grazie Mille (thank you so much) to all that have supported me throughout this journey. I can’t wait to see how much more love we can spread with pasta! Peace, love, and pasta, 

Cameo Fucci