Amber was born in Brooklyn to an Irish and African American family, then was raised in the Bronx. She currently attends Kean University where she is halfway through with earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. “I took a break after last spring semester to have my daughter; born 09/21/16 (one of my proudest moments!)” said Amber!

She continued, “I’ve worked in many restaurants including Red Lobster, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Joe’s Crab Shack. Outside of HMG+ I also work as a server at Madison Square Garden where I work directly in the arena serving guests while watching Knicks and Ranger games. It’s a seasonal job but so much FUN! I love working with HMG+ so far. I love that it’s busy season and the gigs are all pretty cool. It’s perfect for me because I love going to new places, experiencing new things, and being able to create my own schedule!”

Amber’s favorite hobby outside of work is playing basketball. “I played in middle and high school. My daughter is actually named after the high school I attended (Kennedy).”

Thank you for sharing, Amber!

Red Nose Day is a fundraising campaign to help raise money and awareness to change the lives of kids who need our help the most! The money raised by Red Nose Day benefits children in some of the neediest communities in the US and some of the poorest communities in the world.

Fun Fact: After launching in the US in 2015, the money raised by Red Nose Day in the US has benefited programs for children and young people in all 50 states and in 34 countries internationally!

Put on your #RedNose today and join us and millions more donating to this incredible cause! 

Donate HERE!

One of the food and restaurant trends popping up in 2018 may surprise you: the mocktail.

For years, soda and seltzer were pretty much the only options for non-drinkers.  Luckily for teetotalers, the situation is changing.  The growth of cocktail culture, along with the rise of fad diets and general health consciousness, is leading bartenders across the country to design non-alcoholic drinks that are as creative and complex as the other drinks they’re mixing up.

This isn’t just happening at small scale places.  High end restaurants and bars, like NYC’s Eleven Madison Park and the Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel have jumped on board as well.

Another factor in the trend is Seedlip, a new spirit distilled similarly to other clear spirits like gin, but that is alcohol free. It comes in two flavor varieties, one herbal and one spiced, so mixologists are really able to use their imaginations.

Interested in trying a high end mocktail?  Check out this piece from the New York Times here!

Memorial Day, known originally as Decoration Day, began as a way to honor the American lives lost during the Civil War.  Each town would pick a spring day to honor the veterans from the area, visit cemeteries, and join in remembrance.  Many stores would close, and as a result it also served as a way for the community to come together.  Although the date of Decoration Day changed town by town, it was always in the month of May.

During WWI the holiday expanded to honor the lives lost in all American wars, not just the Civil War.  Additionally, May 30^th came to be the agreed upon date of the holiday.

Over the years, many people became upset that the holiday was increasingly seen more as a day of fun than a day of mourning.  In fact, in 1887, President Grover Cleveland received quite a bit of bad press after he spent the 30^th of May fishing.[1]

In the early 1970s, the U.S. government solidified the date of Memorial Day as the last Monday in May, rather than May 30^th.  The result was an annual three-day weekend.  Since then, the holiday weekend has unofficially been considered the start of the summer season, with many families flocking to nearby beach towns.

Today, many Americans find ways to combine the original sense of the holiday with celebration. Many communities hold parades and other remembrance ceremonies in the morning.  Families of veterans may visit national cemeteries or attend memorial services.  However people honor the day, they tend to do it early, leaving the remainder of the day for barbecues, parties, and outdoor activities.

[1] http://time.com/4770697/memorial-day/

With summer approaching, you’re likely thinking ice cream.  As the weather warms up ice cream trucks start popping up in towns and cities across the country as people cool off with their favorite frozen treat.

Ice cream is common place today, but have you ever wondered who came up with the idea?  Turns out, a lot of different people in a lot of different places had similar thoughts.  When it gets hot, people find ways to cool off!

Versions of ice cream, slushies and ices go back earlier than you might think.  There are passages in the Bible about people drinking cooling beverages made with ice, as well as reports of ancient Greeks and Romans mixing ice or snow with simple flavorings.

As time went on, people go more creative.  Medieval Arabs came up with something similar to sherbert, and different Mediterranean cultures continued to develop their own twists on it well into the seventeenth century.  Fruit flavors were particularly popular.

Eventually, ice cream crossed the Atlantic to what would become the United States.  Much later in the history of ice cream, in the 1930s, a particularly American version was invented: soft serve.  Its creation was pure accident: Tom Carvel’s ice cream truck broke down, leaving his ice cream to melt in the sun.  Luckily for him, people loved the softer consistency, and soft serve was born.

Today, ice cream parlors come up with creative flavors like olive oil, lavender, and some far-out ones like ketchup.[1]

Whatever your go-to flavor, there’s no doubt ice cream is a sure way to beat the heat.

Check out some more fun ice cream history facts here:

http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/explore-the-delicious-history-of-ice-cream/

http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/June-2015/The-History-Of-Carvel-Ice-Cream/

https://www.foodandwine.com/fwx/slideshow/oldest-ice-cream-shops-america-still-scooping

[1] http://people.com/food/heinz-ketchup-ice-cream-flavor-ed-sheeran/

In the U.S., the months of May and June revolve around graduations.  High schools and colleges honor the accomplishments of their senior classes with elaborate ceremonies, awards, and celebrations.

The robes traditionally worn by graduates at commencement exercises date back to the Middle Ages.  Originally, they may have been worn for warmth, but over time the colors, shapes and lengths of the robes, hoods and caps all developed specific meanings.  High school graduates typically wear their school colors, whereas those receiving Bachelors or Masters degrees typically wear black robes, with the color of the hood relating to their field of study.  The robes worn by students obtaining a Ph.D. have vertical velvet strips on the front, as well as velvet rings around the sleeves.[1]

The tradition of a commencement speaker goes back a long time as well.  Originally, students and faculty spoke at graduations, as oratory was a major focus of the educational experience.  “Over time, however, oratory began to lose its place as a central skill students were expected to acquire at college. Accordingly, their students’ displays of knowledge became a smaller part of the commencement exercises. To fill the gap, in came the guest speakers.”[2]

Every school adds a personal touch to their ceremonies, whether it be playing a certain song, having certain school administrators speak, or by issuing student awards.

[1] https://commencement.colostate.edu/history-of-academic-regalia/

[2] http://time.com/4327774/history-commencement-speech/

If American culture is obsessed with anything right now, it’s food and television.  Go to any office in any city, and the water cooler talk is almost guaranteed to be about a restaurant or a show, a recipe or an episode recap.

Here are our favorite food shows and documentaries to watch right now:

Ugly Delicious

A Netflix original by chef David Chang, creator of Momofuku, Ugly Delicious centers each episode on a different food – pizza, fried chicken, barbecue – and explores their iterations all over the world.  Chang, along with food critic Peter Meehan, explore themes of authenticity, originality, community and technique while traveling all over the world.

Mind of a Chef

Produced by Anthony Bourdain for PBS, Mind of a Chef has a different chef host each season, who travels both within the U.S. and abroad to discuss a variety of different food related topics, from regional cuisines, food history, and culinary trends.  Hosts include April Bloomfield, Sean Brock and Gabrielle Hamilton.

Cooked

Food writer Michael Pollan takes an innovative approach to this series.  He focuses each episode around elements – fire, water, air, earth – and how they have shaped human culinary culture all around the world, for as long as we have been eating.  The show also features fewer upscale restaurants and chefs, and more every day home cooks using simple, old techniques.

Somm

Have you ever licked a rock just to know what it tastes like?  Probably not, but the guys in this documentary have.  Somm follows four men as they prepare for the master sommelier exam, and the crazy amount of wine knowledge and history they need to have, as well as the impressive ways they train their palates.

Father’s Day officially became a holiday in 1972, under President Richard Nixon.  Before this official recognition, however, many people celebrated Father’s Day in some capacity.

The history of the day goes back to the early 1900s in Spokane, Washington.  A young woman, Sonora Smart Dodd, wanted to honor her father the way moms were celebrated annually with Mother’s Day.  Her mother had passed away when she was young and her dad, William, raised six children on his own.  Sonora approached the city, who was receptive to the idea, and the first Father’s Day celebration was held on June 19^th, 1910.

As with the history of Mother’s Day, commercial retailers played a big role in spreading the holiday, as it was a way for them to sell gift items for men.  This, of course, is still true today.  Retailers run promotions on men’s clothing, tools, golf clubs, and the like.  Additionally, because the holiday takes place in June, summer party items are also promoted by retailers. Many people turn the whole weekend into a celebration, with barbecues, family parties, and a variety of outdoor activities.

For more on the history of Father’s Day click here.

 

“One of the reasons I’ve been with HMG+ for so long is because of their flexibility and willingness to support their Service Professionals who are also artists, students, parents, etc. Most of us are doing this job to support ourselves while we endeavor to do something nearer to our hearts. They get that and even encourage it. When I know I’ll be away on an acting contract, I’ve always been able to give them the dates that I’d be away and they honored them. But I’ve also tried to give them firm dates as soon as possible as to when I would be back. I believe it’s only fair to show the same courtesy and respect for THEIR work as they’ve shown me for mine. It’s no small task to juggle the incredible number of SP’s and clients on the roster. It’s an even bigger task when a large portion of your work force is out of town for weeks or months at a time. They do their utmost to keep us working when we want but it isn’t fair that they should be expected to bend over backward to cover for us when we’re away and give no hint of our intentions to return. They can’t do their jobs if they can’t count on their SP’s.

I will be the first to admit that, though I try, I don’t always have my Giggo up to date. Trying to enter my availability (especially for a different month) can be tedious with all of the back and forth, but I do try to maintain it to help them. It also helps me because I get frustrated when I’m getting gigs offered for days I’m unavailable, but the fact is they’re only doing the job I’ve asked them to do: getting me work, and I haven’t helped them by letting them know what days to offer that work to me. The frustration is no one’s fault but my own.

I think it’s only fair for HMG+ to set a more specific standard for employment during the busy season so they can fill their orders, maintain their/our reputation with clients, and continue to provide the work we are all looking for. In order to maintain that job and my status as a valued employee, it’s my responsibility to keep in contact with the office, to be as clear as possible about my availability, and when I return, to do my utmost to be available to them so that they’ll want me back. I also do it so they won’t feel used. This may be my “day job” but I know what it is to be out of work and broke so I never take HMG+ for granted. There are COUNTLESS actors, students, parents, etc. in this city looking for work. New SP’s are onboarded and trained every week. We are in a business where people do come and go. Which is why HMG+ has to have some measure of consistency to keep the business running efficiently. The fact that we have the option to accept and reject gigs is a HUGE deal. I’ve worked in pretty much every aspect of the service industry and that has never been a thing. With most companies, you give your full monthly availability (or if you’re lucky, two weeks at a time) and then you get the schedule they make for you and that’s it. Done. I have never worked for ANY company who has been more flexible and accommodating. That is something, in my opinion, that should not be taken for granted. I believe that HMG+ has it’s SP’s best interest in mind at all times. Work is given to those who have earned it and who continue to earn it day after day.” -Brooke E.

On May 1st, HMG+ President Karen DiPeri attended the Legislative Summit and Lobby Day in Albany, NY to voice concerns of our industry. The goal of lobby day in Albany’s capital building is to educate lawmakers on the huge impact staffing firms have on employment in New York.

From left to right in photo: Penda Aiken, Carter Lard, Pat Rohe, Alec Courtney, Jason Klimpl, Karen DiPeri, Jim Essay

ABOUT:

The New York Staffing Association (NYSA) is the trade association that promotes the interests of the staffing industry through legal and legislative advocacy, education, and the advancement of high standards of ethical conduct. NYSA is a non profit organization for the staffing industry in the State of New York. We serve as the voice of the industry in state efforts to communicate industry matters to association members, legislative leaders, regulators, the news media and the general public. You can make that voice more effective when you join our association. NYSA maintains a strict code of ethics, and members pledge to uphold the highest ethical standards for their business, and for the industry.

Click here to become a member of NYSA!