Discover Black Heritage

City Men Cook celebrating 25 years of service to community

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A local organization is celebrating 25 years of community impact and as we begin Black History Month, NBC 5’s Laura Harris talked with the organizer about the evolution of his idea that has nourished an entire community.

A local organization is celebrating 25 years of community impact.

The organizer, Terry Allen, said he never thought it would become as big as it is.

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"The first year that we did this, I said that I would never do it again," Allen said. "It was just so much going on and at times it didn't seem like there was a lot of interest."

He said they started with a little more than a dozen cooks at the first City Men Cook event. It was hosted at the African American Museum in Dallas and was to celebrate Father's Day.

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"We just wanted to celebrate men doing the right thing. The fathers, the father figures, all those men who were doing the right thing. What started as a Father's Day event grew to something that we were doing year-round," Allen said.

The actual City Men Cook event has grown to about 150 cooks and seen more than 3,000 people in traffic. Then throughout the year, there are opportunities for young men to link up with volunteers and strong leaders in the community.

"To me, City Men Cook is both a family and a community," Malcolm Lloyd said. "This is a time where we can get ideas. We can learn from other men in our community and see men of color in a positive light."

Other mentees like Anthony Council and Myles Delagado said much of the same.

"I think the camaraderie, that's what it is for me. Men and young men coming together and being one," Council said.

"Food brings everybody together to a table. I think that's just the perfect launching pad for this event, it's the food," Delgado said.

Young men like them are who Allen said keep him going. He is very candid about growing up without a father. He said his purpose is to ensure the next generation never feels the void that he did.

"A lot of times men are measured by stuff, material stuff, wealth, and outcomes. They're not looked at for their joy or their presence. I hope that they say that City Men Cook makes me feel like this is my moment." Allen said.

As far as being a history-maker? Allen won't accept that title, but instead, gives it to everyone who helps City Men Cook thrive.

"We make our history as we go. So if I don't get it at the end of the day and I have not impacted someone's life, then I have wasted my time. I have missed out on helping someone else," Allen said.

He said he hopes that his organization serves as food for the stomach and food for the mind. As a cancer survivor, he said he is a firm believer in second chances, especially when it comes to health in the Black community.

"We had one man that we actually saved his life. We did a community health event and found his blood pressure was dangerously high. We convinced him to go to the doctor and found out he was just a short time away from having a massive heart attack. We take pride in helping people just like that. It just makes me happy, because I didn't have those perfect moments in my own life. I'm a work in progress. I get to celebrate with people. When I surround myself with people, greatness steps in automatically," Allen said.

You can visit City Men Cook for more information about their events throughout the year.

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