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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Past Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview October 11, 2006 Kids serving the community By Alan Panebaker Ashland Daily Tidings Graham Lewis | For the Tidings ABOVE & FRONT: Students from Ashland High School helped cook and serve food during the Uncle Foods Diner at the First United Methodist Church. Ashland High School students served up a hearty plate of help Tuesday at the Uncle Food's Free Community Dinner at the First United Methodist Church of Ashland. Students from the leadership class dished up lasagna and cleaned dishes and the kitchen while Karen Green's Foods II class prepared the pasta. Aaron Sturdevant, an adviser to the leadership class, said working with Peace House through the Uncle Foods Diner program helps high school kids get in touch with the community. "There's something powerful about sharing a meal with someone," Sturdevant said. "It's enriched this experience having the kids here." Volunteering at the Tuesday community meal, students earn credit through class or volunteer hours. Ashland High students have to complete 100 hours of volunteer work to graduate. After Tuesday's trial run, Ashland High counselor Steve Smith hopes local students can take over putting on the meal one Tuesday every month. He hopes to involve the music department for entertainment. While much of the food for Tuesday's meal came from the Peace House garden, Smith hopes he can get $100 community donations each month to buy food for the meal. Students sat down to munch lasagna after serving a full room of hungry people. Nicole Rinaldi, a sophomore in the leadership class at Ashland High, said volunteering at the free meal was a good experience. "Everyone's really nice and talkative," she said. Others reflected that serving at a community meal and the other volunteer work they do through the leadership class is more fun than it is work. A reality hit, though, when students who were serving saw their classmates on the other end of the counter, Ashland High senior Em Dickey said. Peace House has been serving the Tuesday free meal for 14 years. After the weekly Caring Friends meal at Pioneer Hall stopped happening this spring, the Peace House meal is the most formal community meal left. Each Tuesday, the reception hall at the First United Methodist Church fills with people. Some are homeless. Some are struggling to make ends meet, and some people enjoy sharing a community meal. Michael Graham has been coming to the free meals for two years, he said. "The food's fantastic," Graham said over a full plate of lasagna. While he admits some people take advantage of the meals without being polite, he said "it shouldn't be hard to weed out the problem." He just hopes Peace House and the church can continue to offer the service to the community. For Holly East, director of Peace House, having high school students volunteer and help out the community may bridge a gap in Ashland. "These students are earning grades for a culinary class while fulfilling some of their community service requirements;" East said, "but they are also learning about direct action for social and economic justice, which is the mission of Peace House." East said she was thrilled to collaborate with the high school on this endeavor, and she hopes other schools, churches and organizations will follow suit and become involved also. Staff writer Alan Panebaker can be reached at 482-3456 x 227 or [email protected] . Current Comments: What a great idea. The high school requires 100 hours of volunteering within the community to graduate? That's awesome. Hadn't heard about this before. Some of the best life lessons regarding hard work, responsibility, and the personal rewards that come from helping others can be learned here. I'll compliment the educational system on this one. Good job AHS. Steve L. Iverson - Ashland, Jefferson - October 12th, 11:23 AM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.