Food Brings Community Together

Theresa Dardanell Everyone who attended the Free Community Meal at Catoctin High School (CHS) on April 11, 2017, enjoyed pizza, pasta, garlic rolls, salad, and cake. The dinner was provided at minimal cost by Rocky’s Restaurant in Thurmont, and the cakes were donated by Trinity United Church of Christ.  The CHS Outreach Committee sponsored this event to show unity and to bring people in the community together. Susan Weaver, CHS guidance counselor and Outreach Committee chairperson, said that many of the students, school staff, and families, in the Catoctin feeder area, attended the dinner. It was a time to relax and enjoy the company of neighbors and friends. Tables were set up with activities for children and teens. The “smaller kiddo activities” table had coloring books, Easter craft activities, markers, and pencils; the “bigger kiddo activities” table had board games. Weaver said that the first community dinner, which was held in the fall, was a great success. She shared a heartwarming story with me.  During that dinner, a couple sat down with a woman who was sitting alone. Because it was close to Thanksgiving, they asked her what she was doing for the holiday. She began to cry and said that she had nowhere to go. They immediately invited her to have dinner at their home. Food really does bring people together! The Outreach Committee also has a BFF (Backpacks For Food) program to provide food on the weekends for students who might otherwise go hungry. Each week, food donated by parents, staff, students, and community organizations is collected, sorted, and packed in backpacks by volunteers. These backpacks are distributed to about sixty students at Catoctin High, Thurmont Middle, Sabillasville Elementary, and Thurmont Elementary.

Friends and Neighbors enjoy a Free Community Meal at Catoctin High School