Famous Cookbook Now In Belmont Shore
Long Beach, CA and Shenzhen, China – Last October, at its annual charity event, Captivating International launched the sale of its first published cookbook titled, “Our International Kitchen.”
100% of the proceeds benefit the Seng Girls’ Vocational Training School and Home (SGVTS) Project in Northern China. It supports and offers a new life for a girls’ school in China.
This bilingual book was initiated by a group of Captivating International volunteers in Shenzhen who, at the time, embraced China as their home.
The cookbook committee, made up of 6 ladies, includes Lynn Velez (nee Mutke), a Wilson High School and San Diego State University grad currently living in Shenzhen.
“This book is a testimony of their willingness to give back to a country that has given them and their families so much,” commented Valerie Kingsland and Lisa Sommerville of Apostrophe Books in Belmont Shore.”
“Our committee saw a need to create an English/Chinese cookbook, featuring recipes from all over the world, submitted by people in our immediate community” said Lynn Velez. “It does take a village to raise a child and the ‘Shenzhen Village’ has exemplified this through the publication of the cookbook, which is now helping to support over 120 girls at SGVTS.”
For more than two years hundreds of people volunteered their time and expertise by translating and test-cooking recipes, photographing the cooked dishes (and the girls) … and, diligently proofing the cookbook. The book would not be the work of art it is today without the volunteer design team who turned it into a “coffee table book.” Print Ninja, a Columbia, MO – based printing company, is to thank, as well, for donating their services and covering the majority of the printing costs.
The Seng Girls’ Vocational Training School and Home is a place of safety and promise for girls from extremely disadvantaged circumstances. Located in the southern part of China’s Qinghai Province, the SGVTS was established in 2005 by a family who had a passion to see girls from ‘at-risk’ circumstances given the chance to achieve their dreams. The SGVTS is a registered vocational training school and operates with the full cooperation of local and provincial governments of Qinghai. It is central to the vision and dreams of a Chinese registered non-profit organization called LOVEQTRA. Captivating International, www.captivating.org who partners with LOVEQTRA to see these impoverished girls reach out for a better tomorrow, fully funds the operating costs of this program and its strategic development.
Apostrophe Books www.apostrophebooks.net is located in the heart of Belmont Shore at 4712 E. 2nd Street, Long Beach Ca 90803. Phone: 562-438-7950.
Lynn Velez Email: lvelez@whalenasia.com
(Editor’s apology: We were not able to upload the photo of the book. It’s beyond beautiful. Go by Apostrophe to see it.)