New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation Honors Chefs Brigade

Chefs Brigade’s (CB) Executive Director Troy Gilbert isn’t one for individual honors. As CB’s founder, Gilbert prefers to stay out of the spotlight, preferring to showcase the collective efforts of the brigade’s more than 100 independent New Orleans and Gulf Coast partnering restaurants, CB programs like Chefs on Boats, and our ongoing relationships with organizations like the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Force Blue.  

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When the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation (NOPJF) decided to honor Gilbert with a 2024 Champion of Public Safety award, however, he couldn’t turn it down. The award came as part of the NOPJF’s 2024 Stakeout for Justice luncheon honoring state, local and other community leaders, and was held at the New Orleans Sheraton Hotel.

NOPJF, whose mission is to make New Orleans a safer place by promoting excellence in policing, efficiency in criminal justice and positive community engagement, has been a Chefs Brigade partner from the very beginning. When Chefs Brigade started feeding first responders in March 2020 during the COVID pandemic’s early stages, it was the NOPJF who provided the initial funding, acted as CB’s fiscal agent and helped our nascent organization become organized as a disaster response team with local restaurants and chefs. 

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NOPJF has continued to be a staunch CB supporter and in 2023, the nonprofit organization teamed up with CB, New Orleans & Company, and CB restaurant partners to furnish all NOPD districts with hearty and delicious meals during the holiday season.  

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“Chefs Brigade has been an incredible partner to law enforcement and to the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation,” said Melanie Talia, CEO and President of the NOPJF. “Troy and his team of local restaurants have helped NOPJF boost officer morale throughout 2024 through the ‘Feeding the Frontlines’ initiative. It’s our honor to recognize Troy Gilbert as a 2024 Champion of Public Safety.”

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