At their latest meal service – and First Annual Community Dinner – the Campus Kitchen at the University of Florida suited up one very special server: a boy from the Woodland Park Community and member of the Boys and Girls Club in Gainesville, Fla.
The boy, who wore plastic gloves and a hairnet to hand out the drinks, was just one of the children who spent the early evening playing and eating in the park alongside University of Florida college students looking to form a greater connection to their adopted community.
The Campus Kitchen team arrived at Woodland Park before 5 p.m., when the community was invited to arrive, to set up an assembly line for meal service, buffet style. On the menu that day: chicken marsala, stuffed shells, scalloped potatoes, roast beef, corn, green beans, manicotti, dinner rolls, brownies, cake, and a gingerbread cranberry bar dessert. The young volunteer poured iced tea and lemonade.
As the food warmed up, the Campus Kitchen volunteers played music to get the community dancing. A couple girls even showed off a practiced dance. After playtime and food time, volunteers packaged up leftovers to store in the refrigerator of the Boys & Girls Club annex. The rest of the leftovers went to St. Francis House, a homeless shelter and community partner.
One volunteer, Veronica Barrere, describes her experience:
“I met one girl who just grabbed me by the hand in a matter of seconds after saying ‘Hi’ to me. I let some kids take pictures with my camera, gave them piggyback rides, let them play with my hair…I also remember a little girl asking me, ‘Why are you guys having this dinner for us?’ I told her: ‘Cause it’s fun.’ I didn’t quite know what else to say, but she was satisfied.”
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