The YP Impact Team plus six more enthusiastic volunteers gathered at the FareStart Contract kitchen in downtown Seattle on a chilly Saturday morning.
Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by a man who shared his personal testimony with us about being homeless and how FareStart changed his life. He emphasized that the programs at FareStart offer a tremendous amount of support and they deeply care for their students.
Next, we learned about kitchen safety, as well as basic things such as the names of items, where to locate things, and how to properly wash knives and cutting boards.
We then tied on our aprons, put on our hairnets, snapped on rubber gloves, and were ready to begin our food prep adventure.
As the doors to the big contract kitchen opened, we were surrounded by upbeat music, students and positive energy.
The group split up into teams by task: making sandwiches, cutting pineapple, cooking quiche, chopping a variety of veggies for salad, preparing five gallons of ranch dressing and much more. The instructors taught us everything we needed to know as well as tips and tricks, which many of us were able to put to use in our personal lives.
Once the food prep was complete, we cleaned up, gathered in a group and took pictures with tools from the kitchen. You would be amazed at how big some of the tools they use in the kitchen are since they have to make food in bulk quantities. We were all on a high from our fun and rewarding work, so we were rather goofy when it came to picture time.
We then rewarded ourselves by heading out for happy hour at a local joint where we had good food, good drinks and good vibes. We shared our thoughts on the experience and just enjoyed ourselves.
Kara Wenrich commented, “Volunteering was very rewarding. It felt good to work alongside students going through the program and knowing that all the work we were doing would help others who really needed it. And to top it off I learned some new ways that are more efficient in cutting vegetables.”
Volunteering sparks feelings of genuine gratitude and reminds us of everything we have to be thankful for. It connects us to the communities we live, work and play in. It is humbling, eye opening and inspiring.
To learn more about volunteering at FareStart please visit their website, click Get Involved and then choose Volunteer from the drop down menu.
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YP Impact is a budding community of young professionals with an interest in giving back to the community we live, work and play in. If you’re interested in joining the community or just hearing more, visit this page and sign up to follow along.
