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Vita Nova students and faculty serve dinner at the Ministry of Caring

YoUDee and Michael Zeroka Jr. pose as meals are served by HRIM students, faculty and staff volunteering at the Emmanuel Dining Room in Wilmington.

9:30 a.m., Nov. 6, 2003--It was Vita Nova’s turn to prepare and serve Sunday dinner to 200 persons at the Emmanuel Dining Room in downtown Wilmington on Sept. 28.

The menu featured comfort food, but, the highlight of the meal was a big blue chicken—YouDee.

UD’s mascot showed up with faculty and students in UD’s Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management Department (HRIM) who staff Vita Nova, the HRIM-run dining room in the Trabant University Center. They were there to supply, prepare and serve Sunday dinner to those in need at the Ministry of Caring maintains dining rooms.

The Ministry of Caring is a nonprofit, ecumenical organization devoted to serving poor and homeless persons in and around Wilmington. It offers food, shelter, job training and placement, childcare, basic medical and dental care, an AIDS hospice, clothing and household goods for those in need.

Pamela R. Cummings, associate professor of hotel, restaurant and institutional management, works in the kitchen there once a month. Cummings arranged the day of service for the Vita Nova crew and YoUDee. “Every month a different restaurant or group hosts. Last night, it was the Hotel du Pont, and every year Harry’s Savoy Grill participates,” she said.

Cummings said the meal was a great success. “It was down-home comfort food with the most delicious chocolate cake for dessert that I believe I have ever tasted. The servings were huge, and still there was a lot of food left over to be served the next day. By all appearances everyone left happy—the people who came to dine; our students and faculty who worked the event; the people who administer the program; and the people who came the next day for a free meal of some of the best comfort food ever!”

From left: Marytheresa Pupa, CHEP ‘04; Jamie Johnson, CHEP ‘05; Joo-Hee Park, CHEP ’07; Melissa Clocker, CHEP ‘05; Erica Sontowski, CHEP ’07; and Shannon Murphy, CHEP ’04, enjoy their meals with the 200 persons who showed up at the Emmanuel Dining Room to eat a dinner HRIM students and faculty prepared and served.

But, Cummings said, YoUDee was everyone’s favorite. “He was a tremendous success. He stayed for a good long while, meeting everyone he could. Our sous chef, Debbie Ellingsworth, was so excited to get her photo taken with YoUDee. In fact, she was thrilled. And it was a big night for Debbie, as she was the executive chef and the only chef for this event.”

Article by Barbara Garrison
Photos by Pamela Cummings

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