HRIM students to serve Sunday fund-raiser

3:27 p.m., Sept. 21, 2005--UD Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management (HRIM) students and faculty will once again be serving, in all senses of the word, at The Ministry of Caring dinner at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 25, in II Cappuccino at 221 North Jackson St., Wilmington,

Pamela R. Cummings, associate professor of hotel, restaurant and institutional management, said about 45 students will be involved in preparing the dishes for the evening. Faculty, too, will be volunteering, including faculty who do not teach any of the foods classes, she said.

Ministry of the Caring dinners are served once a month by some of the finest restaurants in Wilmington, including Harry’s Savory Grill, Toscano’s, Hotel du Pont and the HRIM students at UD, Cummings said. These dinners support the Emmanuel Dining programs.

“They [the Emmanuel Dining programs] serve meals to approximately 800 homeless and hungry people every single day, with dignity,” Cummings said. “This is what the monthly international dinners support.”

For their turn this month, UD students and faculty plan to serve Cajun-themed goodies, including gumbo, cajun catfish fillets, corn pudding, green beans, sweet potato rolls and bread pudding. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and other refreshments also will be included.

The students and faculty will most likely begin “pre-prep” for the Sunday night dinner as early as Thursday, Cummings said. They also will work on Friday night, throughout the day Saturday and Sunday morning to prepare the meal.

The meal is being prepared under the direction of Debbie Ellingsworth, HRIM chef instructor.

“The food will be transported on Sunday and the finish cooking and plating will be done on site by our students and faculty,” Cummings said. “Our students will also be there to do the serving and partial clean up.”

Cummings said there are usually 160 people or so in attendance. Many of these people are regulars who have been coming for years, she said.

Cost of the dinner is $20 and $18 for seniors. For reservations, call (302) 652-3228.

Article by Leah Conway, AS ‘06

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