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06/27/2018 08:00 AMCommunity Dining Room (CDR) intern Cody Walston has already clocked 100 hours of service, and not a minute has been wasted.
On his first day (May 29), CDR Executive Director Judy Barron put the Middlesex College social work associate’s degree candidate in charge of gathering community and coordinating CDR’s free summer Tuesday Dinners on the Green. And, if the response to the June 19 kickoff dinner is any indication, this is going to be the program’s biggest year yet.
“We did over 150 meals,” says Cody, who thanks Donovan’s Reef for donating the night’s kick-off meal. “I was surprised at the number of people, and asking around with the people who have been here for a while, they said that was a really good turnout.”
So good, in fact, it tripled last year’s kickoff response, says Barron. She says attendance began growing last summer due in large part to bringing in CDR’s first intern at that time, who also helped focus on Tuesday Dinners on the Green.
“This taking off is exactly what we wanted to create for it, and we’re thankful to the interns for helping get us there. That’s the extra time and effort that goes into it that helps it,” says Barron.
Another reason Tuesday Dinners on the Green is growing is because the community is getting the message that the event not only serves up delicious, nutritious free meals for adults and kids, but also gathers people together for a great summer evening filled with memorable moments and great kids’ activities. There’s even a small farmers’ market from 4 to 7 p.m. which adds to the ambiance on the Branford Green.
“We were able to plan some pop-up vendors on the green including Jay Medlyn, who has farm-fresh produce, and Lakeside Feed with their pies, quiches, and [jams] and jelly, and Walter Pond does his own honey and natural, all-beeswax candles,” says Cody.
Tuesday Dinners on the Green will continue every Tuesday on the Branford Green through Aug. 21. Dinner will be served from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with activities offered from 6 to 7 p.m. Everything, from the food to games and activities, is free. This year, adult dinners are provided through the generosity of the Kamran Farid Foundation, while kid meals are being served up in coordination with Branford Public Schools’ Free Summer Meals program. The program is a collaboration of CDR, East Shore District Health Department, School Based Health Center, and Branford Public Schools. Major funding is sponsored by the Kamran Farid Foundation. Main activity sponsors include Raven’s Wing Yoga, Branford Recreation Department, Soundview YMCA, and FiredUp!
Cody started promoting Tuesday Dinners on the Green by sending fliers home with Branford Public Schools students and pumping up the news on social media, including CDR’s Facebook page and CDR’s website, www.communitydiningroom.org. A complete list of dinner dates, dinner menus, and kids’ activities is posted on the website.
Cody says he’s still processing the excitement and accomplishment he felt following the success of the June 19 kick-off.
“It was reassuring, because I was walking into this internship completely nervous,” he says. “So the fact that we were able to pull off the first night successfully, and I had families and kids coming up and saying, ‘Thank you, this was fun, we can’t wait ‘til next week,’ made me feel really good that this program is going to go well.”
Cody notes that, while Tuesday Dinners on the Green are held in Branford, all are welcome from the many communities served by CDR.
“We serve from Old Saybrook to East Haven,” says Cody. “It’s open to anybody. Families from the shoreline who have heard about it can come down, have a good meal, and enjoy some fun activities for the kids.”
He’s also been talking up CDR in his hometown, Guilford.
“One of my personal goals is to do more marketing over there. I did some research in Guilford and a lot of people don’t know about this place, unless they’ve volunteered here before or met someone who volunteered. Let’s get the word out there. People out there are struggling, and we’re doing our best to help them.”
Cody first learned about CDR by volunteering through his job at Big Y in Guilford. He felt an instant connection and soon had a great reason to come back.
“I stumbled across the Community Dining Room last November when we were doing a community project for Big Y. We got to come and serve breakfast on a Saturday and I fell in love with the program. I really liked being here and talking with everybody. About a week later, my school decided social work students could start doing summer internships, so I sent an email [to] Community Dining Room and it worked out perfectly.”
Barron says the opportunity to help Middlesex College expand its internship program was welcomed by budget-strapped CDR. She adds it also gives CDR a chance to give back to an organization that’s sharing a valuable human resource such as Cody.
“So we’re teaching them, and they’re teaching us,” says Barron. “Cody is a great kid. He’s getting a world of experience.”
“I walk in every day and think I’m really blessed. It’s humbling to be here,” says Cody. “They didn’t have to take me as an intern...the fact that they did, and are doing all this amazing stuff for me, is awesome.”
Cody will return to Middlesex College in the fall and graduate with his degree in December. He says he’s going back to school with the type of hands-on experience most interns don’t dare hope to gather.
“This is my baby for this summer internship, which I think is very cool. It’s awesome, because when you’re interning at an associate degree level, you’re thinking maybe you’ll file some things or send out emails. This feels like I’m part of the staff.”
He also plans to stay on at CDR after reaching his 120-hour commitment.
“My internship will be finished on August 6 but I will finish out the Tuesday night program until August 21 because I want to be there,” says Cody, who also loves assisting with CDR’s Wednesday night take-out meals.
“The Wednesday night take-out program I actually fell in love with my first day here, so I asked to be a part of it,” he says. “It’s a program for families who are on the go...they just come right to the door, and they have a number with the number of meals they need. They give me a number and I give them a bag with hot meals packed in there.”
Offering programs like Wednesday night take-out and Tuesday Dinners on the Green help to release the stigma felt by those who might need assistance in feeding themselves or their families, Barron says.
“CDR is more than just a meal,” she says. “We have six or seven programs for nutritional support which all have different meanings behind them. With Tuesday Dinners on the Green, you can just kick back for a night, relax, and enjoy a meal, and catch a break.”
For some, that could also mean, “...you don’t have to worry about your budget for one night,” while for others, “...it’s going to raise awareness, and maybe we’re going to get some volunteers,” says Barron. “It’s helpful in all different aspects. That’s why our goal is to see those numbers double, so we can help people in need. That’s why it’s now Tuesday Dinners on the Green, when it used to be Tuesday Family Dinners on the Green. We’re outreaching to the community. We’re letting people know we’re here and we’re feeding all, and we don’t want to limit that. So while there are families and kids’ activities taking place out there during the meal service, the meal itself is for all.”
Cody adds most area residents are likely unaware their neighbors may be in need of support programs such as Tuesday Dinners on the Green.
“They may see it as just a great community event, but underlying that is that we’re giving people who are possibly in need a break,” he says. “I think we see on the news and other places people are struggling, and a lot of people think, ‘Oh, that can’t be in my neighborhood.’ And I think with programs like this, it’s not only that kids can come and have a fun time, but you can see, ‘Wow, some people in the community are struggling and they need our help.’ So I feel it’s a very good thing for us to be doing more of an eye-opener to help people understand what’s going on in their community.”