Preparing to Deliver Wednesday Meals

Delivering meals on Wednesdays requires planning and preparation. Many people are involved.

Sister Patricia (in red) spends Tuesday mornings preparing jello with fruit, part of the regular weekly menu.  Sometimes volunteers help and often she's assisted by Joann and Teri.

On Wednesday morning, the jellos and bottles of water are packed in ice chests.  They are given out along with the entrees and desserts. Often volunteers provide fresh fruit, too, picked from their own trees.  The homeless really do appreciate the care and attention that go into our operation.

Every month, Sister Beatrice Tom (seated)  and volunteer Carol Curry, chief cook, plan the menu.  Sister Beatrice, Sister Patricia and Wilfred Morales do the major shopping at the Foodbank. 

The kitchen is certified by the Health Department, and safe food-handling procedures are strictly followed.  Notice that everyone handling the food is wearing gloves.

Another difference between the OLK kitchen and a typical home kitchen is the number of sinks.  This commercial-style kitchen has numerous single and double sinks.  This makes it relatively easy to do different tasks simultaneously without worry of cross-contamination.  Here, Dorothy Yamashige prepares to wipe down the counter used for boxing the meals.

Cleaning up is part of the project. Because this is a certified kitchen, dishwashing is more elaborate than usually done at home.  At OLK there are four steps.  Here Sister William Marie is prewashing a pot to get the grease and food particles off.  The next step is washing everything in hot soapy water.  After a rinse in plain hot water, items are dipped in an iodine bath both to sterilize and to show if any spots were improperly washed. 

Happily, everything air dries in large racks.  This is mandated so as not to wipe off the sterilizing solution.  Once dry, of course, everything has to be put in its proper place.

As they say, many hands make light work, so volunteers are always greatly appreciated by both the staff at Our Lady of Kea'au and the homeless, who benefit from our caring.

Thanksgiving in the Longhouse