On days when they cook for schoolwork, Senior High students in Food & Nutrition, Sports Nutrition and Life 101 classes usually eat their own culinary creations. But today, students worked with extra care and attention to prepare meals they will never taste: By the end of today, six classes will have spent the day preparing a dinner of 12 pounds of garlic parmesan pasta with chicken and vegetables; four large garden salads with homemade ranch dressing; and blueberry, cherry and apple sheet cakes to give to those who are sheltered by Safe Berks, an organization that provides emergency housing and services to women and children affected by domestic violence or sexual assault. 

When Mrs. Preston introduced the idea to her classes, she said she could feel a shift in the room where everyone was fully paying attention to the assignment. "They were really taken aback by the purpose of the organization. They understood the gravity of the assignment and the power behind a good meal for people in need." The recipes they selected are a normal part of their curriculum and something they could easily scale up and transport to feed approximately 60 people at Safe Berks--a number that shocked many of the students. "I think they were surprised that there was an organization this big in Berks County to work specifically with victims of domestic and sexual abuse," said Mrs. Preston. "I think there was a realization among the students that they don't know everyone's story."

Typically, the Food and Consumer Science Department does not have the funds to purchase the ingredients to cook a meal of this magnitude, but thanks to a local philanthropic couple's donation of the ingredients and an offer to transport the meal from the high school to the shelter, the department was able make the project work. "If we had the funds for it, our department would love the opportunity to do this once a semester," said Mrs. Anne Thomas. "It's been a rewarding experience for everyone and gives us an opportunity for our students to help those who are less fortunate than themselves."