10/16/2026
On days when they cook for class, SHS students in Food & Nutrition, Sports Nutrition and Life 101 usually get to enjoy their own culinary creations. But yesterday, they traded the opportunity to sample their own food for something even more rewarding: Preparing 50 home-cooked meals for people they've never met.
Throughout the day, students worked together to prepare baked pasta pizza, garden salads with homemade dressing and German apple cake for individuals and families sheltered by Safe Berks, a local organization that provides emergency housing and support services to those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. From mixing ingredients to preparing and packaging the finished dishes, students put their culinary skills to work with a purpose that extended far beyond the classroom.
For senior Greg Day, knowing where the meals were headed made the experience especially meaningful. "It made me feel happy to know that the people at Safe Berks are getting a home cooked meal, and my class helped to make it," he said.
The meal preparation is part of an ongoing partnership between the SHS's Family & Consumer Science Department, Safe Berks and Hackaway at Hunger and Poverty, an Exeter-based organization that coordinates the initiative and transports the finished meals to Safe Berks.
Although the department's regular classroom budget doesn't allow for a project of this size, the generosity of community sponsors has helped keep the initiative going. This semester, Thrivent and Five Pillars Financial provided the financial support needed to purchase ingredients and give students another opportunity to make a difference.
For the department's teachers, the project offers a lesson that can't necessarily be taught through a recipe. "It is great to see our students do small acts of kindness in the classroom that make a big impact on the community," said Mrs. Trisha Master.
The department hopes to continue the project each semester with the support of community sponsors. Those interested in helping students carry on this meaningful tradition are encouraged to contact Mrs. Anne Thomas at [email protected] for more information. 💙🦅
