Community Service Project Offers Healing Meals

Hamden Hall’s longstanding commitment to helping those in need continues as Middle School students commenced their annual community service project – Life is Delicious. This program serves clients at the Columbus House Overflow Shelter in New Haven and provides them with a hot meal.

Twenty-one students along with Middle School Director Brian Christman gathered together in Lender Refectory to begin preparation of the meal, which was lasagna, fresh-cut bread, fruit salad, and chocolate cupcakes for dessert. A few faculty members stepped in to volunteer including science teacher and MakerSpace Design Lab coordinator Rich Chiaramonte, Latin teacher Stephanie Spaulding, and history teacher Bud Kohler. At the helm of the program is past parent Christine Fontana, who helps with logistical support, provides the supplies, and oversees the meal preparation.

“Being involved with this program has been incredibly rewarding and continues to be a wonderful opportunity to work with the students and serve those in need,” said Christine. “Everyone involved gets to do something for the greater community, and knowing you have the ability to help is imperative to who we are.”

Donning plastic gloves and hair caps, students got to work mixing the ricotta and mozzarella cheese in a metal bowl before layering it between lasagna sheets with a pre-made meat mixture and sauce in the assembled cooking trays. Other students were hard at work slicing strawberries, cantaloupe, and honey dew melon for the fruit salad while another group sliced and packaged the bread. For dessert, students headed into the kitchen to bake and frost 100 chocolate cupcakes.

Once the trays and desert were packaged and ready to go, five students and Mr. Christman traveled to the shelter to deliver the meal. According to Mr. Christman, the guests were appreciative of the meal and the school initiative of helping those in need.

Since its inception during the 2011-2012 academic year, the Life is Delicious program has become a staple in the Middle School community. Students have the opportunity to give back to the community while coming together in the communal process of cooking a large meal. The next installment of Life is Delicious will be held on Friday, April 8.