The Grinnell College Men’s and Women’s Swim Team sponsored this week’s Community Meal at Davis Elementary School, where both teams showed up to cook and serve dinner and eat with the community.
Community Meal is a free dinner offered to the community every Tuesday and sponsored by various clubs and groups from Grinnell College or the town of Grinnell. The weekly tradition has been a smashing success, with thriving numbers and many returning diners and volunteers.
“I would say that probably three-quarters of the people that come are people that come every week,” said Hanna Key ’11.
Key and Kevin Nayar ’12 are co-managers of the event this year and organize each meal, assisting the sponsoring groups to plan, buy and prepare the meals.
This past Tuesday, the Grinnell Swim Team crowded into the Davis cafeteria kitchen to prepare eggs, pancakes, sausage and fruit salad. The swim team also sponsored the meal in the fall as part of their focus on community service.
“Coach Hurley, Erin, has been really instrumental in making sure that we’ve had at least one or more community service opportunities every month of the season and off season as well,” said Pat Stuchlik ’11.
Although they are off-season, almost the entire team showed up to help out, including Alice Nadeau ’13.
“It’s been fun!” Nadeau said. “I mean, it’s always fun, these are my friends.”
The Community Meal is an important part of many of the participants’ days, and students, professors and all community members are encouraged to volunteer and keep the tradition successful.
“Ever since we’ve started coming we’ve really enjoyed it. It’s helped me because I’ve had some health problems and I haven’t had to cook this night,” said Dorothy Stone, a Grinnell community member.
With an ever-evolving menu, Community Meal is a new experience every week, so if you haven’t yet, make your way over to Davis Elementary School on Hamilton Ave., where the meal is held Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.