Foreign students meal program for summer 2007
During these cold days, summer may seem a long way off, but it’s all too imminent for the members of the International Student Outreach Program’s (ISOP) meal subcommittee.
These are the folks in charge of feeding the hundreds of foreign student workers who flock to summer jobs in the Cape Region each year.
The students’ enthusiastic response to last year’s inaugural meal program, which offered free breakfasts and dinners at several area churches, led the committee to meet Feb. 5 to begin laying plans for this year.
Members shared the lessons learned from hundreds of hours of cooking, serving and cleaning up after hordes of hungry students, many of whom work multiple jobs.
New to the program this year is St. Edmond’s Church, which plans to offer Wednesday night dinners. Churches that are returning for their second year of hosting meals include the Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Epworth United Methodist Church, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. St. Peter’s holds its meals at All Saints’ in Rehoboth since most students have limited means of transportation. Westminster Presbyterian Church sends helpers to Epworth.
“The churches are responsible for recruiting their own volunteers, deciding on their menus and soliciting donations from their congregations for food, etc.,” said Debbie Lennox, LCOS deaconess intern and subcommittee chairwoman.
“We are hoping to have businesses sponsor some meals, so that will relieve some of the financial burden.”
The local business community has been very encouraging, said committee member Leslie Inkster of Epworth, who has talked with Carol Everhart of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce about business sponsorships of student groups.
“People really like this program – everybody can get behind it and see the benefit of it,” said Rev. Dr. Frank Deming, president of the Lewes-Rehoboth Association of Churches (LRAC), which oversees the ISOP.
LRAC offers a limited meal subsidy to each church, but widespread community support is needed to make the program a success, he added.
“We know from experience that there is a lot of ‘loaves and fishes’ miracle work to be done. The more the larger community is aware of this program, the better.”
source: CapeGazette
