Free community holiday meal Dec. 3 at Lane County Youth Services
Lane County Youth Services invites the community to the 16th annual FREE community holiday meal on Wednesday, December 3. The meal, which is open to everyone, is from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Lane County Youth Services (2727 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Eugene) and includes free food boxes to take home and a free raffle for prizes.
“The meal means so much to our students, our staff and so many community members who come back year after year to share a holiday meal with us,” said the event organizer, Senior Juvenile Justice Supervisor Shellye Reynoso. “Our students especially get to show off their culinary skills and see how their efforts serve people around them.”
Food for the event is prepared and served by students in the MLK Education Center Culinary Arts Program. Students are taught a wide variety of culinary, catering, and workplace skills. Students work alongside professionals who mentor and supervise them to prepare three meals a day and small and large caterings. More than 400 community members were served during last year’s meal.
The event relies on donations to help provide the food, sponsor the food boxes, and provide raffle prizes.
About the MLK Education Center
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Education Center serves middle and high school students who have an active case with Lane County Youth Services. This program is a collaboration between Youth Services and the Lane Education Service District (Lane ESD). In addition to academics, the MLK Education Center provides vocational opportunities, including in the culinary arts. The Culinary Arts Program offers youth the opportunity to learn different jobs involved in food service and catering.