Anna Martucci
Contributing Writer
Student volunteers with Dominican University’s Ministry assembled and delivered 240 meals last Tuesday for hungry people in the neighboring town of Maywood, an event ministry has done monthly for at least four years.
Six Dominican students gathered in the Social Hall to assemble the meals. Most were freshmen. Some worked with ministry, others were looking to volunteer and serve the community.
Freshman Wendy Banda Flores volunteered for an Honors Seminar requirement. “It was definitely cold but giving back to the community was a good experience,” she said.
The students quickly set up an efficient assembly line and filled 240 plastic bags with oranges, chips, and fruit snacks. They then loaded the meals into a shuttle bus and traveled to Maywood’s Quinn Center, 1832 S. 8th Ave.
Once the students arrived, they added fresh tamales to each of the 240 bags, and then bundled them into larger family-sized bags. The tamales came from a woman-owned co-operative catering service in Maywood, Living La Fiesta.
The Quinn Center is a part of St. Eulalia Catholic Church and has served Maywood since 2011. The Center distributes 480 meals every Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. via drive-through distribution. Dominican University contributes half the meals one Tuesday every month for the program, called Come to the Table. Maywood is a food desert, meaning residents don’t always have access to fresh, healthy food, said Tara Segal, University Ministry Director.
Before the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Come to the Table was held inside the Quinn Center where Dominican students brought in meals from dining services and served them to people there.
Soup kitchen coordinator at the Quinn Center, Martha Minnich, would encourage students to grab a plate and talk with the guests. “It’s not just about the food, it’s about the sense of community, the idea that somebody talks to them, the idea that somebody notices them,” she said.
University Ministry Waters Interns for Faith Justice, Naomi Moreland and Abi Drew led the event. “One of the reasons I was so drawn to this internship was because of how we give back to our community, and get to have conversations with them,” Drew said.
The passion and dedication of DU’s students was put on display throughout this event. Tara Segal suggests, Come to the Table is a culmination of all aspects of University Ministry’s mission including faith, culture, and justice.
