Whats Cookin?

The Campus Kitchen Project at Baylor University

Vol. 5, Issue 1

Dinner and smiles in a basket

Students provide meal,
smiles for local families
By Jenni Moore
Campus Kitchen VISTA

Turkeypalooza is an annual event held in November

by The Campus Kitchen at Baylor University to help feed
families in Waco on Thanksgiving. The program originally began with Campus Kitchen accepting food and monetary donations to build baskets for individual families.
These baskets consisted of two cans of cranberry sauce,
four cans of green beans, two boxes of stuffing, four cans
of corn, a turkey, some rolls and a pie.
SEE

TURKEY, page 3

Photo Credit:Joy Lord

Baylor University freshman Kimberly Woo prepares a meal
in Mary Gibbs Jones Family and Consumer Sciences Building on April 2.

Assembly line to serve students

Organizations prepare
for MLK Day of service
By Abi Brantley
Head Kitchen Manager

MLK Day is a day of service where hundreds of Baylor students pour into the community while developing
leadership skills and building relationships. Once a year,
Campus Kitchens joins with other organizations on campus for a weekend of preparation for the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day of Service.
On this day, Campus Kitchens served the ones who
served by providing them with a nourishing lunch; and
as you can imagine, feeding that many hungry students
required weeks of planning ahead and several days in the
kitchen.
During the fall semester before MLK Day, the Campus
Kitchen executive team decided on a menu and time table
for the actual weekend of preparation in the kitchen.
Our volunteer coordinator, Abby Miller, arranged with
other service and Greek organizations to serve during our

preparation day shifts and during MLK Day itself. By the

time we left for Christmas break we had our shifts set up,
food ordered and volunteers were ready to go.
My favorite part of the MLK Day preparation was the
days spent in the kitchen. We took two days, Saturday
and Sunday, and prepared all of the lunches.
Our menu was ham or turkey sandwiches or peanut
butter banana wraps with sides of sun chips, pieces of
fruit and bottled water. We offered the peanut butter banana wraps along with our meat sandwiches in case we
had any vegetarians. The meat sandwiches were offered
in case anyone had a peanut allergy.
On Saturday we made the ham and turkey sandwiches via assembly line with our wonderful volunteers. Our
plan was to make 400 meals, so we made about 2/3 of
those either ham or turkey sandwiches and placed them
in clearly marked refrigerators.
On Sunday we had another wonderful group of volunteers that made the peanut butter banana wraps and
placed them in a special refrigerator so we didnt have
any cross-contamination. Everyone was so eager to help
it was fantastic.
On Monday we had yet another group of volunteers
SEE

MLK Day, page 3

May 2014 Newsletter

Campus Kitchen

Page 2

From being managed to becoming manager

A student explains her
journey of growth from
high school to college

Campus Kitchen

Page 3

Baylor staff, students provide meals for Waco families

TURKEY from page 1

By Alex Woo
Kitchen Manager

During high school I was always encouraged to

participate in service projects. Serving others has a
special place in my heart.
As I started my freshman year at Baylor University I wanted to get involved in an on-campus organization. I was a nutrition science major, and I was asked to
participate in Campus Kitchens, particularly cooking shift.
Cooking shifts are where
we prepare healthy and nutritious meals for our partner
agencies. I was able to help
feed food insecure individuals
in an indirect way.
Alex Woo
As a volunteer I felt empowered to make decisions,
however, I was always instructed on the meal we would be making.
As I volunteered for the next year, I realized how
much I loved Campus Kitchens and their mission
to feed others and recover Baylors dining services
extra food.
The following year I took on the role as a kitchen
manager, the individual who is charge of cooking
shifts; this involved more leadership. I loved being
able to provide leadership to Campus Kitchens because it a student lead organization!
Currently, as a kitchen manager, I plan nutrient dense meals to serve to our Campus Kitchens
partner agencies. I also delegate how volunteers
can help prepare our meals that we serve to Waco
Family Abuse Center, Mission Waco and St. Lukes
tutoring center.
I occasionally teach basic cooking skills as well,
which is a neat experience. I love working with our
volunteers because I am able to share my passion

May 2014 Newsletter

Photo Credit:Joy Lord

Freshman Cadie Hanes,a native of Corinth,Texas looking
and feeling ecstatic while baking cookies in the Mary
Gibbs Jones Family and Consumer Sciences Building on
April 2nd.

and commitment towards Campus Kitchens.

As a kitchen manager I rely on volunteers because cooking a meal takes a lot of work, so I love
having extra hands in the kitchen!
I believe that Campus Kitchens benefits the
Waco community because we are able to serve
meals to those with food insecurity.If I can help
one person receive a nutritious meal, I feel accomplished. Campus Kitchens also helps Baylors
campus with reduction of food waste.
Daily, we help recover food from our dining
facilities on campus. Recovering this food helps
feed individuals who go to Salvation Army who
are food insecure.
Ive learned that recovering food is one of the
most hands-on activities that we can do to help
feed individuals who are hungry. Campus Kitchens has contributed to my leadership ability and
has a special place in my heart.
People fall asleep hungry at the end of the day,
and this breaks my heart, but knowing I can help
feed these individuals drives my commitment towards Campus Kitchens.

Interested in volunteering at Baylor?

National Organization Information
http://www.campuskitchens.org/

The best classroom on campus is in the kitchen

By the end of the event, we

collected 1,150 pounds of food,
and almost $1,200 in donations.
One hundred percent of these
profits were donated to the
families of Waco.

Volunteers make MLK Day a reality by feeding fellow students

MLK Day from page 1

Helping out with the Campus

Kitchens MLK Day of service was
that helped assemble lunch boxes
so rewarding for me.
and sort out the fruit, chips, sandAnyone could help, as eviwiches/wraps and condiments.
denced by the myriad of organiThe room that we used was the
zations and other volunteers that
Family Consumer Sciences buildjoined us to form one purpose:
ing Reception room.
feeding our fellow students.
Normally very pristine and airy,
It reminded me a lot of Jesus
it was transformed to a landscape
Abi Brantley | Head Kitchen Manager
washing
the disciples feet. Servfilled with towers of lunchboxes
ing
the
ones who are serving.
and bustling volunteers.
If
any
organization
wants
to
serve
with us net year,
By lunchtime the meals were packed into driving volthey
can
contact
our
volunteer
coordinator.
We would
unteers cars, and sent off to their specific sites to feed the
be more than happy to serve with you during the next
students serving there.
MLK Day.

Anyone could help, as evidenced

by the myriad of organizations and
other volunteers that joined us to
form one purpose: feeding our fellow students. It reminded me a lot
of Jesus washing the disciples feet.
Serving the ones who are serving.

Where is the Mary Gibbs

Jones Family and Consumer
Sciences Building?

M P Daniel Esplanade

8th Street

Visit www.baylor.edu/campuskitchen

This past year, we accepted all forms of canned and

non-perishable food items, with an emphasis on the origStudents and staff could purchase a basket for $35
each, or contribute a partial payment toward a basket. inally collected thanksgiving items.
Students into the basket. We only accepted the non-perThese food items were donated to the food pantry, and
ishable and staff could also donate the individual items the monetary donations we collected were used to purthat went food items as donations.
Then we used the monetary donations to purchase the chase gift cards to restaurants that were going to be open
on Thanksgiving Day, so families that were not able to
turkey, rolls and pies to complete
the baskets.
cook a meal still had a place to eat
We found that with this methtogether on Thanksgiving.
od, it was difficult to deliver all
By the end of the event, we colof the baskets to the families, as
lected
1,150 pounds of food and
the turkeys needed to be kept
frozen during transport.
almost $1200 in donations. One
In order to remedy these probhundred percent of these profits
lems, we began partnering with
were donated to the families of
the Shepherds Heart Food PanWaco.
try to not only find vetted famiJenni Moore | Campus Kitchen Vista
lies to give the donations to, but
Turkeypalooza is one of Camalso to help stock the food pantry
pus Kitchens largest events of
shelves.
The clients of the food pantry could receive our donat- the year; be on the lookout this November for posters
ed food items at the food pantry the week of Thanksgiv- on where and when to donate, as well as how to get ining and choose items that filled their personal needs.
volved!

May 2014 Newsletter

Campus Kitchen

Into the kitchen

Page 4

Students give back to

Waco while on campus
By Kimbery Woo

During high school I was extremely involved in different areas of service. When I came
to college I felt a void in my life,
because I was not doing something
to pour into the people around me.
As a freshman, I was unsure
of how to get involved without
overwhelming myself, especially
during the transition into life as a
college student. To make matters
worse, I came to college without a Kimberly Woo
car.
Baylor Freshman
It was much more difficult for and Campus Kitchen
me to participate in the many Volunteer
amazing opportunities Baylor has
for service off of campus.
My sister, a senior at Baylor, told me to look into Campus Kitchen. Its on campus location was very convenient for me, and its flexible schedule made it easy for
me to fit it into my own schedule.
At first I was unsure of what to expect because this
form of service was so different than the more personal,
hands-on service that I was used to. I soon realized that I
could still make a big impact on the community with just
two hours a week.
Campus Kitchen gives me an opportunity to give back
to the community that has poured so much into Baylor
and its students. Volunteering at Campus Kitchen is a
super easy way that students can get involved and give
back to the community.
Many shy away from helping out because they say
that they cannot cook. However, you do not have to be
a master chef to help out. Many times we are assigned
little tasks like cutting vegetables, washing dishes or
even making the staple food of our childhood: Mac and

Photo Credit:Joy Lord

Baylor sophomores Maelyn Schramm (left) and Katy Craft
(right) have fun preparing a meal in Mary Gibbs Jones Family and Consumer Sciences Building on April 2.

Cheese.
Combining all these simple tasks, we are able to create
a great meal that will help keep more families from going
hungry. In the end, the little things truly do make a big
difference.
On other college campuses, many students are involved in Campus Kitchen. Those students are able to
make hundreds of meals for people in need. At Baylor
the organization is much smaller, but it attracts a small
group of committed volunteers.
In the Waco community, there is a great need for meals
and help. Campus Kitchen would be able to help so many
more people if they had more volunteers and more supplies. Campus Kitchen is a great organization that is very
easy to get involved in.
Meeting twice a week for two hours each, its flexible
hours allow volunteers to come and go as they please.
Also, its on campus location makes it convenient for students to help out while they are still on campus.

Staff
Jenny Agee ........................................................................... co-editor
Kristian Spotser .............................................................. co-editor
Abi Brantley ............................................................................ writer
Jenni Moore ............................................................................. writer
Alex Woo ....................................................................................writer
Kimberly Woo ........................................................................ writer
Joy Lord ...................................................................... photographer