September’s Shawarma Poutine was created by Chef Amanda Saab.

It features halal chicken shawarma, garlic toum gravy, pickled turnips, diced tomatoes, garlic sauce, and fresh parsley.

Amanda Saab is a chef, activist, and educator recognized for her appearances on MasterChef and for founding Dinner With Your Muslim Neighbor, a nationwide initiative bridging communities through food and conversation. A social worker by training and Program Director at Detroit Food Academy, Amanda uses food as a tool for justice, youth empowerment, and cross-cultural understanding. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Today Show. 

The profits from this month’s poutine sales are going to Detroit Food Academy. We love DFA! They envision a Detroit where youth are powerful - leading, changing, and co-creating Detroit’s food system through culinary arts and and food entrepreneurship. From cooking delicious healthy meals for friends and family to facilitating complex conversations with community to developing artisan food projects from scratch to market, students learn by transforming their ideas into reality. Through this process, they grow as holistic leaders who are healthy, connected, and powerful to effect change in our communities and beyond.

August’s poutine was created by the founders of PizzaPlex, it is Poutine alla Siciliana, inspired by the Neapolitan pasta dish Penne alla Siciliana.

The poutine features a cherry tomato, garlic, and basil sauce, topped with fried eggplant, pine nuts and pecorino. We love this poutine because everything is in season here in Detroit making its flavours so vibrant and fresh.

PizzaPlex (@pizzaplexl3c) was founded in Detroit in 2017 by Alessandra Carreon, Drew McUsic, and their close friend Nathan Hannon, PizzaPlex is Detroit’s only certified pizzeria serving Vera Pizza Napoletana (@vpnamericas) from a wood-fired oven. Alessandra, of Italian‑Filipina heritage, brought her Neapolitan pizza roots and sustainability passions to help start the business, which was formerly located in Southwest Detroit and now exists as a mobile oven for hire. She and husband Drew earned pizza‑making (“pizzaiolo”) certifications from the Scuola di Pizzaiolo (@fabiocristiano74) in Naples in 2015, then hand‑built their own wood‑fired oven with Nathan, who helped bring their backyard pizza hobby into a full community‑centered venture and who earned the same pizzaiolo certification, even making pizzas professionally in Naples. Together they crafted more than great pies; their motivation was to offer a space rooted in pizza, people, and planet, as well as meaningful programming like their pay‑it‑forward “sospeso” pizzas and community events with plans to transition into a worker‑owned cooperative. You can book PizzaPlex for your event by visiting PizzaPlex.com!

The profits from this poutine are going to Black Girls Code, whose mission is to reshape the next generation of tech leaders.

Only 19% of computer science degrees are earned by women and less than 2% of tech roles are held by Black women. The biggest drop-off in tech engagement happens between ages 13 and 17, right when confidence is tested and futures are shaped.

Without early access, mentorship, and a support system that says you belong here, those numbers won’t change. At BGC, we’re creating long-term pathways, building community, and preparing young innovators to build the solutions that will change the world.

“Our work starts early and goes deep. We spark interest in elementary school, build technical and leadership skills in middle and high school, and create pathways into college, careers, and entrepreneurship. Along the way, we foster community, confidence, and creativity. Because we believe that success in tech takes more than just code.”

July’s poutine was created by Chef Leah Sypniewski, BSL’s Lead Cook. Leah is a seasoned chef who has years of restaurant experience across the country. Leah created a Green Curry poutine featuring seasonal veggies and crispy fried chickpeas. It is the first in the Poutine For The People that can be made vegan, customers and staff are raving about it.

The profits from this poutine are going to WRRAP Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project. WRRAP assists women* and girls of all ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and cultural backgrounds who are financially unable to pay for safe, legal abortions or emergency contraceptives. They provide funds directly to pre-screened, pre-qualified health clinics and doctors across the nation on behalf of women in need of abortion services or emergency contraceptives. WRRAP does not ask for repayment of funds.

*WRRAP’s definition of “women” includes transgender, genderqueer and non-binary people who are women-identified.

Chef Rohani Foulkes of Folk Detroit has created June’s Poutine for the People. It is based on Australian hot chips (fries) which are typically eaten with gravy, sour cream and chili sauce. The poutine features a sweet and spicy chili crema, crispy fried shallots, and scallions.

At the intersection of sustainability and culinary creativity stands a Waiben-Australian founder and operator whose journey from Cairns to Detroit has shaped a career rooted in ethical hospitality, sustainability, and community impact. Since 2016, Rohani has launched nationally recognized, mission-driven establishments—including the award-winning, James Beard–nominated Folk café—prioritizing fair labor, biodynamic provisions, and minimal-waste practices. Beyond Folk, her ventures include Neighbor, a modern sundry and event space located at The Station at Michigan Central — together we continue to redefine excellence through equity, craft, and care.

June’s Poutine for the People is going benefiting Corktown Health. Corktown Health Center is the first medical home focused on serving the LGBTQ community in Southeastern Michigan. We offer primary care, behavioral health services, comprehensive HIV care and treatment, cancer screening, health insurance navigation and more. We are a collaborative work-in-progress and are continuing to grow and expand in order to offer more services that meet the needs of our community.

BSL’s co founder and owner chef Jason Yates has created May’s Poutine for the People. It features braised lamb on top of fries, cheese curds and beef gravy, and topped with a mint yogurt sauce, pickled red onion and mustard seeds. Jason is so talented at balancing flavours, acidity and umami, this poutine is a perfect example of that.

May’s poutine is raising money for Freedom House Detroit. For over 40 years, they have provided shelter, legal aid, and compassionate support to survivors of persecution who come from all over the world, seeking safety. They have a number of amazing programs that provide housing, legal aid, job training, medical and mental health care, and more.

Chef Ederique Goudia turned her signature gumbo into a poutine! It will be benefiting the Eastside Community Network. We can’t wait!

Ederique “Chef E” Goudia is not just a chef; she’s a connector, weaving the rich tapestry of Detroit’s food scene with a deep commitment to equity, culture, and community. Her work is rooted in the belief that food is more than sustenance—it’s a vessel for preserving history, addressing systemic inequities, and building connections across diverse communities. 

As the manager and business coach for the Shed 5 Incubator Kitchen at Eastern Market, Chef E collaborates with local organizations like TechTown Detroit, Michigan Good Food Fund, and Make Food Not Waste to uplift underrepresented voices in the food industry. Her advocacy spans critical issues such as child nutrition, food security, food waste reduction, fair wages, and mental health support within hospitality—areas that are often overlooked but essential to creating a more just food system. 

Chef E’s impact resonates far beyond Detroit. Her work has been highlighted by National Geographic, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Eater, Edible WOW, and NPR. She has shared her culinary expertise on Fox 2 Detroit and contributed recipes to publications like the James Beard Foundation’s A Plate at the Table, Hour Detroit, and Eating Well. Through her agency In the Business of Food (IBF Detroit), she empowers minority-owned and under-resourced food businesses with tools and resources to thrive.

For 40 years the Eastside Community Network (formerly Warren Conner Development Coalition) has worked tirelessly to develop programs and resources that center the needs of east side residents and amplify their voices with respect to the development of their communities.