Arepas benefit World Central Kitchen – Santa Cruz Sentinel

Community organizer Ayo Banjo (left) shared a fun moment with Herman Sierra this week at Pana, a Venezuelan restaurant in the Octagon in downtown Santa Cruz that Sierra started with his wife, Gabriela Ramirez. Pana is locally known for its selection of arepas, which are open cornmeal pockets cooked on a flat grill and stuffed with meat, cheese and vegetables. Arepas have been prepared for hundreds of years in the regions that now make up Colombia, Panama, and Sierra's homeland of Venezuela. Sierra, which previously was only open for lunch and dinner, unveiled Pana's new breakfast line on Friday at its store at 118 Cooper St. in Santa Cruz, along with a specially designed “Banjo His Arepa” named after Banjo. . Breakfast or Banjo A portion of the proceeds from his arepa sales will be donated to World Central Kitchen through May 17 to feed children in war-torn locations around the world. Banjo said: “This campaign is more than just a launch; it is a commitment to community engagement and international humanitarian efforts. “We provide a powerful story about how we can play a vital role in addressing global challenges.” (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Warden)

Community organizer Ayo Banjo (left) shared a fun moment with Herman Sierra this week at Pana, a Venezuelan restaurant in the Octagon in downtown Santa Cruz that Sierra started with his wife, Gabriela Ramirez. Pana is locally known for its selection of arepas, which are open cornmeal pockets cooked on a flat grill and stuffed with meat, cheese and vegetables. Arepas have been prepared for hundreds of years in the regions that now make up Colombia, Panama, and Sierra's homeland of Venezuela. Sierra, which previously was only open for lunch and dinner, unveiled Pana's new breakfast line on Friday at its store at 118 Cooper St. in Santa Cruz, along with a specially designed “Banjo His Arepa” named after Banjo. . Breakfast or Banjo A portion of the proceeds from his arepa sales will be donated to World Central Kitchen through May 17 to feed children in war-torn locations around the world. Mr Banjo said: “This campaign is more than just a launch. It is a commitment to community engagement and international humanitarian efforts. Our collaboration is a combination of local business efforts and local influencers. ” (Shmuel Thaler – Santa Cruz Sentinel)