The volunteering life {cooking for homeless teens}

Perhaps it was Volunteer Match that put Community Cooks in front of me. I can't quite remember, but I'm so happy I connected with this organization that coordinates small teams of people to cook a dinner for a local nonprofit agency, once a month. The Community Cooks team for which I signed up creates a multi-course dinner for a wonderful local organization called Bridge Over Troubled Waters, serving homeless youth ages 14-24 in the downtown Boston community. Each month, the coordinator assigns a course -- main meat, main vegetarian, pasta, vegetable or salad, dessert -- of 10-12 servings, that we prepare at home and drop off to the agency (only 4 blocks away!) in the late afternoon. We're careful to mark each dish we donate with ingredients, so nobody risks an allergic reaction, and with instructions to reheat, if necessary. It's fun to think about what young people might enjoy eating, and to cook for them. Last month, my assignment was dessert, and my husband Ted made a big chocolate sheet cake. Doesn't that sound perfect? Check out the web site to see other area agencies that can use a little bit of help.