This week I got a long letter from a group of volunteers, singing the praises of one of our staff--my favorite kind of letter! ﾠ"The Slice & Dice Crew" is our self-named group of volunteers who come each Saturday to work with Milford Jenkins who leads our Saturday kitchen activities. ﾠIt's an amazing group of people. ﾠAll strangers initially who now act like family. ﾠThere are about 30 in the group who came as individuals, fell in love with the Saturday experience and bonded as a group. ﾠThey attribute their spirit to Milford's leadership and management skills. ﾠTasks are clearly defined each week, a lot of prep work gets done, but a lot of socializing, too! ﾠThe regulars have taken on roles as task managers, allowing Milford to manage a big group without a lot of extra staff support. ﾠ

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About a ﾠyear ago they started hosting potluck lunches at Community Servings as part of the experience. ﾠThey had a "wings" cooking contest one week. ﾠAnd this week they hosted their Valentine's Potluck and presented Milford with a framed copy of the letter they sent me trumpeting his many talents. ﾠAnd I was lucky enough to be there to see Milford's face, the warmth of the crowd, and the spirit of the group. ﾠI met one man who discovered a few weeks ago that the woman standing beside him peeling carrots each week was actually his next door neighbor who he'd never met. ﾠI love the spirit of community that the Saturday team represents. ﾠThe Community in Community Servings! ﾠAnd I'm incredibly proud of Milford for his leadership and warm hospitality!

Slice & Dice Crew