hawthorn hill anniversary

last year around christmas time my friends and i were looking for a way to volunteer and give back to our community instead of buying each other gifts.  we found an organization called, hawthorn hill.  hawthorn hill helps women and children who are experiencing homelessness.  they provide the families a safe, warm place to stay while helping them find permanent housing.  hawthorn hill was looking for volunteers to donate meals to feed those staying at their shelter, approximately 20-25 people.  we thought this was a perfect way we could help out. 

we brainstormed a meal idea and divided the courses up among the five of us.  the only rule was we had to serve something we would serve/eat ourselves.  when we delivered our first meal last december it was a huge wake up call for me.  i had no concept of what it is like to be homeless or not know where my next meal is going to come from. 

our first donation was such a success, we decided to keep it up.  we now donate a meal once a month on sunday evenings. we take turns preparing the entrees, side dishes and dessert.  over the past year we've served up a variety of meals ranging from tacos to roasted chicken. while i love cooking and thinking up different meal ideas for me the most fun part is in the delivering. everyone is excited to see us and always very grateful. 

if you're looking for something different to do with your friends or family this holiday season, i would recommend getting involved in a service project.  hopefully you'll find it as rewarding as i have.

nic working hard in the kitchen

jared demonstrating his mad knife skills

one of our donated meals - scalloped potatoes and ham