During May and June a construction crew was busy at work at the Salesian community in Gressier. While the community has been providing daily hot meals to students for several years, it has lacked a suitable kitchen for the work. Through the generous support of donors, a new kitchen has been constructed to sustain the feeding program for years to come.
The previous kitchen was a simple structure, built of wood poles and a corrugated metal roof. It provided little protection from the elements, and things could get wet when it rained. Also, the cooks used charcoal to prepare the food, which was not ideal. Everyone is excited about the new arrangements. The new building is constructed of concrete blocks, and there is plenty of room for food preparation and storage. The kitchen is also being provided with gas cooking ranges for much cleaner cooking.
Over 900 youth are benefitting from the school feeding program at Gressier, and it’s easy to tell that they appreciate the meals. Pere Eustache, the Salesian in charge of the feeding program at Gressier, has stated that for many children the school lunch is the only meal that they will eat on a given day. He also notes that there are better grades when kids are not preoccupied with finding something to eat.
The feeding program at Gressier depends on food sent from Breedlove Foods and Rise Against Hunger, non-profit organizations in the United States. The food supplied by Breedlove is based on lentils, while the Rise Against Hunger food is rice-based. When the center has the resources, the cooks also include additional ingredients such as chicken, pork, potatoes, eggplants, and other vegetables.
While the academic year is now completed, the kitchen will get its first use this summer when the summer youth program begins. After tiring mornings of games and learning, youth will receive a healthy and hearty meal. Then they’ll be ready to start again!