November 22, 2016 at 3:27 p.m.
A taste of home: Young chefs make monthly meals for residents of Frederick Place
A taste of home: Young chefs make monthly meals for residents of Frederick Place
By Kayla Thomason-
The students and their families make the food at the school and Patricia Rickman, E2 Montessori teacher, delivers it to the shelter for the residents there to enjoy.
"I feel incredibly blessed to have families who give so generously to make this service project successful," Rickman said.
The students enjoy their time in the kitchen, the tasks, the interaction and doing it all for the good of others, she added.
"Each time we prepare a meal we have great conversations about how fortunate we are to have our families and a community that supports us," Rickman said. "They are happy to cook for those who are less fortunate."
Having the students' families in the kitchen is also a positive experience.
"They love having other adults in our classroom to learn and connect with, it helps to build our school-to-home relationships," Rickman said.
Each meal includes salad/bread and a dessert. So far they have made pesto chicken with homemade pesto, a mixed salad with nuts, meatloaf, and Swedish meatballs with a cheese and egg lettuce salad, and a chocolate bundt cake drizzled with a caramel glaze and pecans for dessert.
"They've been hearty meals, they've been very good meals," said Becca Mahoney, house manager at Frederick Place. "It just kind of blows you away that 8- and 9-year-olds cooked to the volume they cooked in. It has taste to it, it's not bland or anything."
Mahoney said the arrangement has been positive for the students and residents.
"It's been received really well," Mahoney said. "It's helping the kids learn cooking skills and practice following directions and they're giving back and they're really, really good cooks."
Not only are theing students learn culinary skills, they are learning how a small act of kindness can mean so much to someone in need.
"Being a former school social worker and elementary principal, it's certainly very important from a standpoint of (the students) to understand about giving and understand that a little bit can be very appreciative," said Tammy Modic, executive director of Frederick Place.
"Everybody feels - I think - that we're helping each other learn and be more compassionate to each other and to make the world a better place a little at a time," Mahoney added.
The residents have been impressed with the students' cooking and are very grateful for the meals, Mahoney said, adding there are usually no leftovers.
"The passion that Patricia and her teachers and the kids convey to us is that they're supportive but when you set your mind to do what you need to do you can do just about anything and I think that's a very common thread throughout all of this," Mahoney said.
She believes that learning compassion and understanding for others is important at a young age.
"It's a very easy way to give back too that doesn't cost tons of money or a lot of time," she said. "I think it's one of those virtues that if you don't learn it young you're not going to get it when you're older."
Modic said 80 to 90 percent of the monthly meals at the shelter are donated, which saves the parent organization, the Northwoods Alliance for Temporary Housing, about $50 to $100 a meal.
"The residents feel honored that these people are giving their time and their monies to be able to provide a meal to them and they're definitely appreciative of everyone who comes, whether it be the Montessori group or anyone else," she said.
For more information about the meal program, call Frederick Place at (715) 369-9777.
Kayla Breese may be reached at kayla@ rivernewsonline.com.
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