WITHOUT RESERVATIONS
The Hutch steps up to serve lunch for Oklahoma City’s homeless community
When chef David Henry and his crew from The Hutch on Avondale took over the kitchen inside the Homeless Alliance’s WestTown day shelter, it marked the penultimate Turning the Table on Hunger event of 2017.
That day they oven-roasted scads of pork ribs for an enthusiastic crowd, who lined up 15 minutes early for lunch to stand downwind of the hypnotizing aroma. Along with his sous chef Shane Roel, the Hutch staff also prepared barbecue baked beans, hash browns with chicken sausage and cornbread with local peppers.
This year’s Turning the Table on Hunger events end with Thanksgiving, but the campaign continues next year.
What began with chefs coming to prepare lunch using only available ingredients in the shelter kitchen has evolved into a campaign to make sure the facility is well-stocked with food and volunteers. Fate brought chefs from US Foods into the shelter.
Fellow food distributors Sysco and Ben E. Keith were introduced to the campaign through chefs and restaurateurs like Paul Seikel, of Pearl’s. If those connections turn into long-term partnerships, 2017 will have been a success.
Two weeks, chef Anna Banda brought a group of culinary students intoWestTown to prepare lunch. What a great way to instill service into impressionable youths.
Clad in their chefs whites and hats, thestudents came early and cooked up shepherd’s pie and cornbread plus creme puffs for dessert.
Needs go beyond food
DaySpring Church in Edmond called Homeless Alliance director of communications to say they’d taken up a collection and had some canned goods to deliver.
“I knew they were coming with some donations, but I was blown away when they pulled up with an entire pickup truck full,” Crocker said. “We always need those types of donations — not just at Thanksgiving. For one serving of vegetables for 300 people in a typical day, it takes five of the large No. 10 sized cans.”
Kinsey wanted to remind the public food isn’t the only thing that sustains the day shelter.
“We are almost completely out of bath towels right now for people who shower at the day shelter and for people moving into housing,” she said.
“People who visit the day shelter can stop by the shower cart to check out a towel and get a cup of soap and shampoo. Last year, we provided more than 20,000 showers. While we wash and reuse the towels, you can imagine we go through a lot.” And then comes winter. “With cold weather upon us, we are also in great need of gloves, hats, hand warmers, socks and blankets. There is a large national company that typically sends us 500 fleece blankets each Christmas, but their stock is low this year from all of the disasters, so they aren’t going to be able to provide,” Crocker said.
“So, we are hoping the community can fill the gap and help provide some of these winter weather items.”
She pointed out a majority of those who visit the day shelter are not staying at overnight shelters.
“They are completely unsheltered. We provide a safe, warm, dry place for them to go during the day, but they need winter gear for the cold nights,” Crocker said.
With Christmas night, extra donations will be needed.
“We do a big breakfast that day and will need hams, biscuits, sausage and orange juice,” Crocker said.
Of course, the shelter always welcomes volunteer for the five days a week it serves lunch and breakfast. As always, monetary donations can be made online (homelessalliance.org) or by sending a check to the Homeless Alliance at 1724 NW 4; Oklahoma City, OK; 73106.
Right now, assistant kitchen manager Delbert Briggs said staples currently running lowest are sugar, hash browns and 8-ounce disposable cups.
Today many of the chefs who’ve already participated in Turning the Table on Hunger will gather to serve Thanksgiving to about 300.
But efforts to serve folks in need of assistance began Monday morning for Cookie’s Thanksgiving, which operates through Other Options to deliver Thanksgiving meals to families in need.
They worked two days at Earth Elements and two nights at Sunnyside Diner to get the meals prepared.
As usual, the Rappaport opened up its TurboChef ovens at Culinary Kitchen to roast more than 100 turkeys donated by Butterball for local community dinners. The Turkey Tango crew will continue to work through the night for that cause.
Thanksgiving volunteers
All this effort will help several local shelters provide for their clientele. Here’s a list of community dinners planned. Contact them about volunteer opportunities.
• City Rescue Mission, 800 W California Ave.: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
• Jesus House, 1335 W Sheridan Ave.: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
• Homeless Alliance Day Shelter, 1724 NW 4: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
•Britton Road Church of Christ, 2520 W Britton Road: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
• The Salvation Army, 1001 N Pennsylvania Ave.: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
• Exchange Avenue Baptist, 1312 S Pennsylvania Ave.: 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
• Grace Rescue Mission, 2205 Exchange Ave.: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
• The Commons at Norman High School, 911 W Main St. in Norman: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
• University of Central Oklahoma Nigh University Center, 100 N University Drive in Edmond: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday.