Source: JerseyShoreOnline
It was all hands on deck during the week before the holidays for the 170 Culinary Arts students at Brick Vo-tech, when all the students helped to prepare 3,000 meals for Ocean and Monmouth County families in need.
“Feed the Need” has humble beginnings when some 25-to-30 years ago the culinary arts students prepared about 20 meals for a church. That number has grown into 3,700 requests for meals this year.
The Brick Culinary Arts Program has always partnered with Food Service Director Tommy Yanisko at Community Hospital in Toms River, who holds a cash fundraiser every year that pays for the groceries, including green beans, yams, onions, butter, potatoes and much more, that is needed for the 3,000 meals.
There were 170 students who worked to create 3,700 meals for people in need.
The meals are picked up and distributed by a number of non-profit organizations, large and small. This year, the bulk of the meals, some 2,000, went to Inspire New Jersey, a multi-need charity based in Manchester, and Jesus Is Lord Fellowship in Brick, which distributed 1,000 meals.
The Thanksgiving meal preparation was a full-circle moment for Chloe Torres, 18, a first-year culinary student from Jackson High School, who was the recipient of Feed the Need when she was younger.
“It’s heartwarming because my family history was bad. They helped me, and I’m just thankful for helping families and kids that need food.” she said. “It makes me happy to see other people happy.”
Friends Alicia Bird, 17, a junior from Lacey, and Serena Hawileh, 17, a senior from Brick, worked together on the sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes.
Students prepared every part of the meal.
“It was a good experience. It meant a lot to me because I’ve been in a similar situation where my family would go to food pantries when I was young, and it’s really nice knowing that I can help people now that I have more money in my family,” said Bird.
CJ Cooke, 16, a junior from Jackson High School, said the whole experience of preparing food for Feed the Need was fun.
“I enjoyed being with my classmates – it was kind of like a bonding experience,” he said. “The teachers put so much into it. I think everyone was so happy to be doing something that’s for such a good cause, to feed all these people who are struggling,” Cooke said.