Smoke Signals 9
FEBRUARY 1,2009
Community Fund sttaffff cooks CDiiristmas meaB
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
The HOME Youth & Resource
Center in Salem, a day program
for homeless and at-risk youth,
had a Christmas dinner in Janu
ary Friday, Jan. 16, to be exact
courtesy of Spirit Mountain
Community Fund staff.
"We decided instead of a Christ
mas party to make dinner for the
kids," said Administrative Assis
tant Kluane Baer. "But the weather
was so bad on Christmas, so we're
doing it now."
Many of the youth asked the
same question, but in a warm living
room with the movie "Get Smart"
playing on the television and the
smell of warm pies coming from the
kitchen, nobody was looking this
gift horse in the mouth.
The menu included roast pork,
baked beans, cole slaw, cornbread
and three kinds of pie apple,
cherry and peach.
Community Fund staffers, in
cluding Director Shelley Han
son, Program Officer Louis King,
Baer and Secretary Jilene Mercier
played a table game called "Apples
to Apples" with some of the youths
as the food cooked, but Mercier was
winning everything and the teens
eventually opted for the movie.
The Community Fund in 2006
granted the HOME Youth & Re
source Center $35,000 for an eve
ning education program. The grant
went through HOME's parent
organization, the Mid-Willamette
Valley Community Action Agency.
HOME's mission is "to provide a
safe, supportive environment where
at-risk and homeless youth may have
their immediate needs met as well as
have positive opportunities to recon
nect with their community."
Last year, according to the group,
more than 800 youth visited HOME;
about 20 percent were recently
homeless. More than 7,800 meals
were served.
Usual meals have to be "cheap,
something kids like, and can be
made and put on the table in an
hour," said Peggy Kahan, Program
Director, "because we hire the kids
to prepare and serve the meals as
employment training."
A look at the menu indicated
something like school lunches, with
hamburgers, pizza and chicken
nuggets featured.
So, the Christmas meal was a
breath of fresh air for the youths. It
turned out to be really well-timed,
said King, because there's usually
so much happening around Christ
mas and in January the good meals
are fewer and farther between.
Some had to leave early and got
a piece of pie and milk before they
left, but for most it was a sit-down
with plates full of food. Program
Coordinator Dan Kelley took care
of the early birds, and circled with
a gallon of milk and refilled glasses
as the kids emptied them out.
"The beans are the best," said a
girl named Ashlyn.
"It is delicious," said another girl
named Ashley,
A boy named Cali nodded in
agreement.
But then came the cole slaw re
views.
"It has a little spice," said a fellow
named Kody. "It tasted all right
until I was done eating it."
A girl named Kayla sat down,
knowing just how far she was go
ing to go with the meal. "I'll have
everything but the cole slaw."
"It was great. I loved it," said
Taylor of the meal in general.
Mark said, "It was really good."
Destry introduced a new compli
ment. "It was dank," he said. "I
can still taste the goodness in my
mouth."
Also for the Community Fund
staffers, the day was good.
"I think it's working out bril
liantly," said Hanson.
And so it was. The light streamed
through the front windows. The
movie played on the television. The
kids came and went, and greeted
each other. Some headed down
stairs where other games were
played.
Like any big family, lots took
place at the edges, but the dinner
was the center, and the center
held.
Below, Spirit Mountain Community Fund staff members, clockwise second
from left. Program Officer Louis King, Director Shelley Hanson, Secretary
Jilene Mercier and Administrative Assistant Kluane Baer play a game called
"Apples to Apples" with a youth during a visit in which the four made dinner
for the youth at the HOME Youth & Resource Center in Salem on Friday, Jan. 1 6.
At right. King checks the roast pork to see if it's cooked.
Photos by Ron Karten
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